Colombo

 

Pushing Sri Lanka's politics into further chaos, a majority of the political parties have threatened to bring a no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister and Acting President Ranil Wickremesinge.

 

Opposition parties have told the Speaker that Ranil Wickremesinghe should resign immediately and Parliament should be summoned forthwith.

 

On Wednesday, protesters who demanded the exit of Wickremesinghe took over the Prime Minister's office despite the use of heavy force by the police and the military who used water cannons and tear gas and finally shot in the air. Nearly 40 protesters were admitted to the hospital with injuries. Protesters then walked to the Speaker's official residence only to be chased away with heavy force in which 42  persons were injured, including two soldiers and a policeman. A 26-year-old protester died in Wednesday's violent protests.

 

Acting President Wickremesinghe urged the political parties to appoint a Prime Minister acceptable to both the government and the opposition.

 

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country amid massive protests across the island nation, did not resign from his post as promised on July 9. The Speaker said that he had not received any communication from the President so far.

 

Rajapaska, who fled the country in a passenger plane belonging to the Sri Lanka Air Force to Maldives in early hours of Wednesday, is said to be planning to go to Singapore and then to a safer location in the Middle East. He has said that his resignation would be announced once he reaches his destination.