Sri Lankan lawmakers request PM to take presidency after Rajapaksa’s resignation

09:56,

YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS. A group of lawmakers requested Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to take the country’s presidency after the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, TASS reports citing the Daily Mirror newspaper.

“Following discussions held within the political parties till last evening, Wickremesinghe held a majority of nearly 115 seats in parliament. Several MPs have also requested him to continue and take over the presidency and not leave the economic crisis halfway especially since talks with the IMF were ongoing”, the newspaper said.

According to the Daily Mirror, “if Wickremesinghe continues in office, he will be sworn in as president on Wednesday following Rajapaksa's resignation and till a presidential is held, he will concentrate on finalizing a deal with the IMF and restoring some kind of economic normalcy”.

Following protests on Saturday, which left over 100 people injured with protesters breaking into the residences of the president and prime minister, Rajapaksa said he would step down on July 13. Wickremesinghe also said that he was ready to resign.

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS