Speaker of Sri Lanka's parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced that the parliament will convene within three days after ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa submits his resignation letter, Sri Lankan media reported on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th July, 2022) Speaker of Sri Lanka's parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced that the parliament will convene within three days after ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa submits his resignation letter, Sri Lankan media reported on Thursday.
The parliamentary session scheduled for July 15 will not be held, according to the Ada Derana news portal.
On Monday, the speaker stated that the leaders of political parties made the decision to schedule presidential elections by parliament for July 20. Abeywardena added that under the constitution, the parliament would convene on July 15 to be officially notified that the president had vacated his post.
Sri Lanka is mired in a political deadlock caused by the country's worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948. The country has been hit with anti-governmental protests which culminated on Saturday, when activists in Colombo took control of the residences of the president and the prime minister, demanding their resignation.
Rajapaksa, who fled the country late Tuesday, declared his intention to resign and appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as interim president. The parliament will hold a presidential election on July 20 and appoint a caretaker government, which will remain in power until the next general election.
