Story: Sri Lanka Political crisis ; 14-07-2022;
Protesters are peacefully withdrawing from official buildings, which they occupied in the past several days, they said on Thursday.
Protesting parties said that they would continue their struggle to bring down the top leaders like President and Prime minister of Sri Lanka, in response to a dire economic crisis, caused by their policies.
The news was conformed by the The Sri Lankan prime minister’s office, today!
Colombo: Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives on Wednesday, after promising his resignation and swift power change in the country earlier this weekend.
The official announcement was due to be made today in Parliament, but President Rajapaksa flees hours before planned resignation.
Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that President Rajapaksa will send his resignation later in the day as promised.
The end of Rajapaksa's regime marked the end of his family's near two-decade dominance of the country after a massive popular uprising brought on by an economic collapse.
Today, after news broke down of President Rajapaksa fleeing the country, Hundreds of protesting Sri Lankans got even more furious and soon stormed the Prime Minister's office, and took over a national television and radio facility.
Another reason of the storming of the PM office is that the President made his ally Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in charge as acting president, this triggered more demonstrations, protesters are demanding his resignation too.
Tear gas rounds were fired at the protesters by police stationed outside the prime minister's office, but protesters could not be stopped by this, and they stormed into the Prime Minister's office eventually.
News of at least 1 dying, due to the shelling of tear gas.
The Prime Minister said he had instructed the military and police to do "what is necessary to restore order". The demonstrators "want to stop me from discharging my responsibilities as acting president", he said, adding, "We can't allow fascists to take over."
Soon later, emergency and a curfew were cancelled, but Wickremesinghe said that the measures would be announced again later.
Wickremesinghe said the protesters "have no reason to storm the prime minister's office". "They want to stop the parliamentary process. But we must respect the Constitution. So security forces have advised me to impose an emergency and a curfew. I'm working to do that."
A military helicopter briefly circled overhead, but protesters appeared undeterred and finally surged into the compound. Wickremesinghe's team declined to reveal his whereabouts.
Protesters also continue to occupy the official residences of the president and the prime minister after both buildings were stormed on Saturday.
Defence chief General Shavendra Silva says military, police will respect constitution.
“We have requested political leaders to decide the way forward till a new president is sworn in and notify us and the public by this evening,” Silva said.
The statement comes after Prime Minister Wickremesinghe called on security forces to do “to do what is necessary to restore order”. As Reported by Aljazeera , earlier today.