Leaders of all political parties represented in Parliament have unanimously agreed to form an Interim All-Party Government, political sources said yesterday.
This decision was reached at a Party Leaders’ Meeting held under the patronage of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena after the storming of the President’s House, the Presidential Secretariat and Temple Trees by thousands of protestors, who demanded that both President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe should resign immediately. The Party Leaders at the meeting have echoed this demand.
Accordingly, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has offered to resign from his post at this Party Leaders’ Meeting. According to the sources, Speaker Abeywardena has undertaken the task of informing the President of the Party Leaders’ demand for the resignation of the President and the Prime Minister.
Earlier, the President had informed the Speaker that he would abide by any decision reached by the Party Leaders. The Party Leaders have insisted on the formation of an Interim All-Party Government until fresh elections can be held in due course. Many Party Leaders participated in the meeting in person while some others joined via Zoom.
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe making a special statement yesterday evening following this meeting said he agrees that an All-Party Government must be formed.
He said that if this Government is to step down, another Government must take over as running the country without a Government would be wrong, he said.
The Premier emphasised that islandwide fuel distribution is due to commence this weekend and the World Food Programme (WFP) Director is due to visit the country this week as well. Amid such a backdrop, there should be a Government and he has agreed to the formation of an All-Party Government.
The Party Leaders have also conveyed that as per the Constitution, the Speaker should rule the country in an acting capacity (as ‘Acting President’) for a given period and a Prime Minister should be selected by Parliament. SLPP Parliamentarian Dullas Alahapperuma had tweeted on the decisions taken at the Party Leaders’ meeting. He tweeted that an overwhelming majority agreed that both the President and Prime Minister should resign immediately. The Party Leaders had also decided that Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena should become the Acting President and Parliament should be convened within a week to elect a new Premier by a Parliamentary majority. In the same way, a Government should be formed representing all parties.
Earlier, Premier Wickremesinghe also called upon the Speaker to convene Parliament urgently. Main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) leader Sajith Premadasa initially said his party would not participate in a discussion held by the Premier and demanded the immediate resignation of both President Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe.
Later, he reversed this decision and agreed to participate in the discussion after it was decided to be held under the patronage of the Speaker. Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake also said that his party would not participate in any discussion with the PM but later agreed to attend the Speaker’s meeting.
A group of 16 Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MPs has also written to President Rajapaksa, urging him to step down to pave the way for a peaceful transfer of power according to the wishes of the religious leaders and the public.
The letter was signed by 16 MPs including Dullas Alahapperuma, Prof. Channa Jayasumana, Dr. Nalaka Godahewa, Prof. Charitha Herath, Wasantha Yapa Bandara and Dilan Perera. The MPs said that Parliament should be convened immediately and an All-Party Government should be formed under the Prime Minister for a certain period to restore stability to the country.
Thousands of people from all parts of the country marched to the President’s House yesterday demanding the immediate resignation of President Rajapaksa. Thousands of people living in the suburbs of Colombo walked to the City while those in the outstations took packed trains and buses. Amid severe hardships and a lack of fuel for private vehicles, thousands of people from all parts of the country arrived in Colombo to extend their support to the mass protest. The protestors who broke through Police barricades to reach the entrance of the President’s House, stormed into the premises and took control yesterday afternoon. The Police had earlier fired tear gas to disperse the protestors at the Janadhipathi Mawatha but the protestors regrouped and managed to breach the barricades.
The protestors who commenced their demonstration around 9.00 am yesterday, first attempted to enter the President’s House via Chatham Street, Colombo, amid tear gas fired by the Police. However, they later managed to enter the President’s House and take control. Later, the massive crowds who had gathered at the protest site at Galle Face Green entered the Presidential Secretariat and took control. They later breached Temple Trees as well and were also seen near Parliament and the private residence of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe in Colombo.
These events are unprecedented in Sri Lanka’s history. Defence sources said the President and key officials had been moved to a safe location prior to these events.
The Aragalaya leaders and religious leaders who held two separate press conferences after the breaching of the Presidential Residence, demanded the immediate resignation of President Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and the Ministers. They called for an interim governance mechanism until fresh elections can be held and also immediate solutions to the economic crisis.
Meanwhile, it was also reported that the Police had fired tear gas at the protestors at the “Gota Go Gama” protest site in Galle Face Green yesterday. The Police had also fired two rounds of tear gas to disperse the protestors at Chatham Street in Colombo who attempted to advance through a barricade. Coinciding with the demonstrations in Colombo, islandwide protest marches were organised yesterday, urging President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the incumbent Government to step down.
Massive crowds thronged the Galle Face Green’s ‘Gota Go Gama’ protest site from many parts of the country in support of the mass public protest. Reportedly, political parties, trade unions, civil organisations and many other groups had pledged their support for this mass demonstration. The Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) arrived at Galle Face Green in a protest march which kicked off near the University of Kelaniya on Friday. Ahead of the mass public protests, the IGP imposed a police curfew from 9.00 p.m. on Friday night (July 8) in several parts of the Western Province. The Police curfew order, which was initially declared effective until further notice, was lifted at 8.00 a.m. yesterday morning after the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) and Opposition political parties raised objections.
Meanwhile, the number of people who were injured during the mass protests and admitted to the Colombo National Hospital (CNH) yesterday stands at 56. According to hospital sources, several Police officers had also sustained injuries while three protestors are reportedly in a critical condition.
The world media gave wide coverage to the events in Colombo yesterday, with the video footage being aired live around the world. Sri Lankans living abroad also organised protests against the President and the Government in several world capitals to coincide with the protests in Colombo and other cities in Sri Lanka.