Colombo: People suffering from economic slowdown in Sri Lanka today entered president Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s house while demonstrating.

The protesters are demanding the resignation of the president. The police also used force to nab them. Police and the army used water cannons and tear gas on the protesters but people broke through all the barricades and entered the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Meanwhile, protesters also set fire to prime minister Wickremesinghe’s private residence. The President has announced to resign on July 16.

At least 30 persons have been hospitalised in clashes between police and protesters. Since Saturday night, attempts were being made to disperse protesters and university students occupying the area near Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The president’s whereabouts are not known at the moment but it is suspected that he is at the Army headquarters in Bataramulla.

Meanwhile, in a bid to resolve the political crisis in Sri Lanka, various parties have decided to temporarily appoint Speaker Mahinda Yappa Abyavardana as president.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will be asked by the Speaker to step down from their posts. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on the other hand has refused to resign immediately.

The prime minister’s media division said he would resign from the post after an all-party government was formed and a majority was proved in Parliament. Lawmaker Dulhas Alaparuma tweeted that the leaders had agreed to convene a session of Parliament within a week to elect a new president by a majority.

The post Sri Lanka PM house set on fire, President to resign on July 16 appeared first on TV Punjab | English News Channel.