Protesters storm the official residence of the President of Sri Lanka | world and science

Protesters stormed the official residence of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Colombo on Saturday. According to news agencies, they are demanding the CEO’s resignation amid the economic crisis facing the country. For security reasons, Rajapaksa has not been at the official residence since Friday 8.

Television footage showed protesters breaking down gates of other government buildings such as the presidential secretariat and the Finance Ministry. The army and police tried to stop the invasions but failed.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe called an emergency meeting of party leaders to discuss the situation and find a quick solution. And the President of the Republic demanded to call the House of Representatives to convene, according to a statement. Wickremesinghe has also been moved to a safe location.

The country’s police imposed a curfew in Colombo and other urban areas in the region on Friday night, but canceled the measure on Saturday amid objections from lawyers and opposition politicians who called it illegal.

US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung on Friday called on people to protest peacefully, and called on the army and police to “make room for them to demonstrate safely”. Fix the economy or bring about the political stability that Sri Lankans need now.” He said in a tweet.

crisis

Last month, Wickremesinghe claimed that the country’s economy had collapsed. He said negotiations with the IMF are complicated because Sri Lanka will go bankrupt.

In April, Sri Lanka announced the suspension of the repayment of foreign loans due to a shortage of foreign exchange. The country’s total external debt is $51 billion, with a growth forecast of over $28 billion by the end of 2027.