UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he stands in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka and calls on all stakeholders to "engage in dialogue to ensure a smooth transition of government."
The statement came after widespread protests in Sri Lanka over food, fuel and medical shortages, leading to the occupation of the president's and prime minister's residences by protestors. The president has yet to comment publicly on the situation although, according to the UN statement, he reportedly plans to step down on Wednesday.
Sri Lankan Protests edit
Protests Sri Lanka +
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was asked by the country's political establishment to step down over economic mismanagement, following months of mass protests. The call for Rajapaksa's exit was confirmed by Member of Parliament Harsha de Silva after protestors entered the presidential residence and office.
In addition, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who also faced demands to resign, wrote on Twitter that he would step down for "the safety of all citizens." Protesters entered his residence and set it on fire, confirmed his spokesman.
Ahead of today's demonstrations, the United Nations urged law enforcement to "show restraint" and appealed to organizers to engage in peaceful protests.
Protests Sri Lanka
References
- @Dinouk_Ctwitter.com
- @RW_UNPtwitter.com
- @HarshadeSilvaMPtwitter.com
- Call for restraint ahead of Sri Lanka protestohchr.org
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has agreed to resign, according to the speaker of the parliament, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. In a televised address, Abeywardena said the president informed him he would resign on July 13 "to ensure a peaceful transition of power."
Rajapaksa informed the speaker of this decision after Abeywardena wrote to him asking for his resignation following the all-party leaders meeting earlier in the day. News of the president's resignation came after his official residence was stormed by protesters after months of unrest over Sri Lanka's economic crisis.
Protests Sri Lanka