Speaker informs decisions taken at party leaders’ meeting to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa

Sri Lanka’s Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has officially informed Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in writing of the decisions taken at the party leaders’ meeting today, Speaker’s Office says.

An urgent party leaders’ meeting chaired by the Speaker of Parliament of Sri Lanka was held at his official residence this evening (July 09).

In a letter directed to the Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Speaker notified the President of the following decisions taken by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and other political party leaders:

• President and Prime Minister stepping down from their respective positions without delay
• Convening the parliament within 7 days of time to appoint an acting President
• Appointing an interim government and a new Prime Minister under the acting President, with the consensus of all-party representatives
• Holding elections in due time to let the people elect new public representatives

Three alternative suggestions were meanwhile presented by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe:

• President resigning from his position and Prime Minister serving as acting President
• Forming a new interim government led by the Prime Minister
• Both President and Prime Minister vacating their portfolios and appointing a parliamentary representative as the acting President and appointing a new Prime Minister, establishing a new interim government with an all-party consensus