On Monday, Mahinda Rajapaksa stepped down as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka amid violence between pro and anti-government protestors.
Several properties, including the ancestral home of Rajapaksa in Hambantota and the houses of two mayors, were torched. And Rajapaksa museum in Meda Maulana was also destroyed. Violent confrontations and gunfires left at least five people killed and over 200 wounded. In four locations, protestors have also attacked government supporters returning from Colombo.
On the other side, following Mahinda Rajapaksa’s resignation, pro-government supporters have taken a march. Despite police presence, men armed with iron batons have barged into the protest site, attacking anti-government demonstrators at the “Gota Go Gamma” tent village.
In Nittambuwa near Colombo, ruling party parliamentarian Amarakeerthi Athukorala died following a tiff with anti-government protestors. Some reports say that gunshots sped from his SUV first. Later the MP who took refuge in a building pulled the trigger, killing himself.
Outbreaks of violence were also reported outside the official residence of Mahinda Rajapaksa. Protestors, in thousands, have breached the main entrance and set a truck on fire. Security personnel fired gunshots in the air to prevent angry protestors from breaching inside the inner security ring of the residence.
Currently, in addition to the state of emergency announced by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a nationwide curfew is also in place in Sri Lanka. Government spokesperson Nalaka Godahewa said,“Now the president will invite other political parties to form a unity government. After that, he will meet with independent and opposition political parties, and we expect a new government in the next few days.”
Earlier, Mahinda Rajapaksa had written in his resignation letter, “Multiple stakeholders have indicated the best solution to the present crisis is forming an interim all-party government.” However, many still want President Gotabaya Rajapaksa also to step down, holding the Rajapaksa family entirely responsible for the grave economic situation crisis Lanka is facing.
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