While protests seeking his resignation continue, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is scheduled to meet a group of MPs on Sunday to discuss plans to form an interim government.
Sri Lanka has been rocked by weeks of protests as the country passes through its worst economic crisis.
Gotabaya would meet at 7pm (local time) 41 MPs who withdrew support to the government last week. Former president Maithripala Sirisena told mediapersons the objective of the meeting was to “coerce President Rajapaksa to form an interim administration under an all-party cabinet sans Rajapaksas with least number of portfolios”, Daily Mirror reported.
News 1st reported “The MPs from 10 parties that formed the ruling coalition, MPs from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, and Independent MPs from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna will attend this meeting.”
Sirisena was quoted by Daily Mirror as saying “The entire country demands the removal of the Rajapaksa clan and President Rajapaksa from politics in Sri Lanka. It seems that the protests and agitations against the President and the SLPP government will not recede as long as the incumbent government and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa remain in power. But it is a long process and takes time. The people need immediate solution to their current grievances such as the power outage, the skyrocketing of the price of essential commodities, food shortage, ever escalating Cost of Living and many more. If we are to find immediate solutions to these pressing issues, first and foremost action must be taken to form a stable government.”
The discussions are expected to consider opposition proposals including creation of a 'National Executive Council' consisting of party leaders within parliament to take policy decisions and recommend a prime minister; limits on number of ministries and restrictions on salaries of ministers, and measures to ensure timely supply of essentials such as medicine, electricity, gas and food to people.
The opposition has insisted on the removal of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the president's brother.
