Sri Lanka expected to elect new president next week

Sri Lanka's president, Gotabaya Rajapapasa, who has supervised the crackdown on rebels at the time he was secretary of defence, is expected to resign Wednesday.

His brothers and grandsons have earlier resigned from ministerial posts when Sri Lanka began to lack fuel, food and other basics in the crisis that is the most serious since independence from Britain in 1948.

Parliament will convene on Friday and five days later will elect the new president, Parliament Speaker Mahida Yapa Abeywardena said.

“During the meeting of leaders held today, they agreed that this is necessary to secure a government where all parties would participate, respecting the Constitution”, he said through a statement.

The ruling party has said that the prime minister and cabinet are willing to resign and appoint a comprehensive government”, he added.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickreminghe, whose private house has been burned by protesters, has said he will resign. His office has confirmed plans for the resignation, adding that the cabinet would resign once agreement is reached on forming a comprehensive government.

Protest leaders have said they will usurp the presidents and prime minister's residences in Colombo until they resign.
Over the weekend, protesters broke into the president's house in Columbus. This town was calmer Monday, where hundreds of people were seen at the president's residence. The police made no effort to intervene.

Police said they have accepted about $50,000 that were found by protesters at the president's residence Saturday.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called for the peaceful transition of the Government and <x0-> sustainable resolution” for the current economic crisis.

For months, Sri Lanka is facing lack of food, fuel and medicine, and discontent culminated Saturday, when protesters entered the presidential residence. / REL/