Sri Lanka’s cabinet ministers have offered resignation letters from their positions in response to calls from increasing protests amid economic instability and a severe fuel shortage in the South Asian country.
Government officials confirmed that all cabinet ministers had handed in their resignation letters, paving way for all political parties to form a new cabinet, following discussions held with Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, on Sunday evening.
Rajapaksa and the state ministers will, however, continue to work in their capacities, officials said.
The prime minister is expected to issue a special statement to the nation and an invitation will be extended to political parties for joint efforts to form a new government.
Sri Lanka has for days seen protests urging the government to take measures immediately to solve hours-long power cut and fuel shortage or to resign.
The country has also suffered a shortage in essential supplies such as food and medicines and foreign currencies with several sectors being affected as a result.
A 36-hour curfew came into force on Saturday evening and was lifted early Monday in a bid to ensure law and order in the country, police said.
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Monday extended an invitation to all political parties to join the government to find solutions to the ongoing crisis in the country.
The invitation came hours after cabinet ministers resigned from their posts.
In a statement, the President’s Media Division said that the current crisis was a result of several economic factors and global development.
“Sri Lanka should find solutions within a democratic framework considering this a national need, the time has come to work together for the sake of all the citizens and the future generations. ”
The president invites all political parties represented in the parliament to come together to accept ministerial portfolios in order to find solutions to this national crisis,” the statement said.
Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Sri Lanka’s Central Bank Governor also tendered his resignation to President Rajapaksa on Monday.
Sri Lanka has for days been facing public protests calling on immediate measures to be taken by the government to solve the economic crisis.
A state of emergency was declared in Sri Lanka on Friday and a 36-hour curfew came into place in the evening the next day which was lifted Monday morning.
