On Sunday, leaders from the main opposition political parties met to discuss an effective transition of power, following the long-awaited resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on July 13. Caretaker Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has only been in office since May, has also agreed to step down if an all-party government is formed to take charge of the country. Wickremesinghe, whose private residence was torched by protesters on Saturday, stressed that the country was facing critical times and needed a stable government. Protesters remained at Rajapaksa’s residence, his seaside office and the prime minister’s house, saying they would remain until the resignations were formalized. The president’s whereabouts were unknown. Soldiers were deployed across the city and the chief of the defense staff, Shavendra Silva, called for public support to maintain law and order. But troops simply watched from afar as throngs of people soaked in the garden pool of Rajapaksa’s grand residence, lay on beds and took selfies on their mobile phones to capture the moment. Wimal Weerawansa, an MP who was formerly with the ruling party but broke away as the country’s economy collapsed, said opposition parties had “agreed in principle to form a unity government with the participation of all parties for an interim period”. Discussions are said to be still going on as to who will be the new prime minister and president. The unity government is likely to be only a temporary measure until parliamentary elections are held. But whoever takes over the country faces a tough road ahead, with Sri Lanka’s economic woes showing no sign of abating and warnings that fuel and food shortages could worsen. They could also face issues of public legitimacy. Many of the protesters who demonstrated against President Rajapaksa do not support many of the MPs, who they see as still part of the political establishment that brought about the downfall of Sri Lanka. Rajapaksa has been president since November 2019 and, along with five other members of his family who held senior political positions, is accused of corruption, bankrupting the country and triggering the worst economic crisis since independence. President Rajapaksa has faced months of sustained protests calling for him to step down, but has repeatedly refused. But after a dramatic series of events unfolded on Saturday, when his offices and residence were occupied by protesters and the prime minister’s home was set on fire, he was faced with little choice but to announce his resignation, a rare and historic move. triumph of people power in Sri Lanka. The president’s promise to step down by Wednesday in order to oversee a “peaceful transition” was relayed through the speaker of the House late Saturday night. But he did not follow up with an official address or letter of resignation and on Sunday remained in hiding, reportedly under military protection. However, despite his marked absence, he still appeared to be involved in running the country with reports on Sunday that he had ordered a new delivery of cooking gas to be distributed across the country. According to the constitution, once President Rajapaksa resigns, Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena will temporarily take over for 30 days, after which Parliament must vote to appoint an official presidential successor. Particularly critical for Sri Lanka is having a government that can continue negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The country, which has already defaulted on $51 billion in foreign debt, is hoping for a $4 billion emergency bailout as its foreign exchange reserves have been depleted and it can no longer afford to import fuel, food and medicine, leading to what recently the UN described an impending “humanitarian crisis”. The IMF said on Sunday it hoped for “a resolution to the current situation that would allow for the resumption of our dialogue”. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Washington was monitoring developments in Sri Lanka and urged parliament to work quickly to implement solutions and address popular discontent. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST Speaking at a press conference in Bangkok, Blinken said the United States condemned the attacks on peaceful protesters while calling for a full investigation into any violence related to the protests. Pope Francis opened his address on Sunday after noon prayer at the Vatican by expressing his concern for Sri Lanka. “I sympathize with the pain of the Sri Lankan people, who continue to suffer from the effects of political and economic instability,” the pontiff told the audience in St. Peter’s Square. “Together with the bishops of the country, I renew my appeal for peace and beg those in power not to ignore the cry of the poor and the needs of the people.”
