Colombo

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is believed to have responded positively to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's request to him to quit in the face of the deepening economic crisis along with the imposition of the state of emergency in the island nation.

According to reports, at a special cabinet meeting at the President's House, headed by Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Mahinda Rajapaksa agreed to resign from his post as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, reported the Colombo Page.

The Sri Lankan Cabinet had been informed that owing to the failure of the Prime Minister to cope with the country's ongoing economic crisis, Mahinda Rajapaksa has sought to resign from his position. His resignation will also mark the dissolution of the Cabinet.

The Prime Minister had stated that if the only solution to the persistent economic crisis in Sri Lanka is his resignation, he is willing to do so.

Meanwhile, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had accepted that amidst strong protests by the people it has become a serious problem to manage the economic and political crisis in the country, reported the Colombo Page. He added that the crisis had resulted in an absence of tourists in the country. Moreover, the closure of factories had also worsened the economic woes.

Political sources revealed that Sri Lankan Cabinet ministers, Prasanna Ranatunga, Nalaka Godahewa, and Ramesh Pathirana, have all agreed to Mahinda Rajapaksa's decision of resigning as the Prime Minister of the country. However, in contradiction with the Cabinet ministers, Minister Wimalaweera Dissanayake had stated that Mahinda's resignation will prove futile in dealing with the country's crisis.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is due to announce his resignation in a special statement on Monday, followed by a cabinet reshuffle in the next week, reported the Colombo Page.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is struggling with acute food and electricity shortages, forcing the country to seek help from its neighbours. The recession is attributed to foreign exchange shortages caused by a clampdown on tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic. The country is unable to buy sufficient fuel while the people are being deprived of basic amenities as well.

The economic situation has led to huge protests with demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.