Sri Lanka: Protesters ‘will occupy palace until leaders go’

Protesters have said they are going to continue to occupy the particular Sri Lankan presidential and prime ministerial residences until each leaders officially step down.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said he would step down on 13 July, according to a good announcement made by the particular parliament’s speaker on Saturday.

But the president has not been seen or even made a general public statement himself.

Countless numbers descended on Colombo on Saturday challenging his resignation after months of protests.

The president continues to be blamed for the state’s economic mismanagement, that has caused shortages of food, fuel and medicine for months.

Best Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also said he would step down following Saturday’s protests, by which his private residence was set burning down.

But protesters stay sceptical about the leaders’ intentions.

“Our struggle is not over, ” student protest leader Lahiru Weerasekara said, quoted by AFP. “We refuse to give up this struggle until [President Rajapaksa] actually simply leaves, ” he said.

“The next couple of days are going to be extremely unclear times as to notice what transpires politically, ” political analyst and human rights lawyer Bhavani Fonseka told Reuters, incorporating that it would be fascinating to see if the two leaders “actually resign”.

Political frontrunners are due to hold further meetings to discuss a smooth transition associated with power on Sunday.

The US Secretary associated with State, Antony Blinken, said that any new government needed to instantly focus on long-term economic stability.

A large number of people were injured in Saturday’s protests. The spokesperson for Colombo’s main hospital told AFP news agency on Saturday that three people had been treated for gunshot wounds.

The astonishing events of Saturday appeared to be the culmination of months associated with mainly peaceful protests in Sri Lanka.

Huge crowds converged on the official residence of President Rajapaksa, chanting slogans and waving the national flag before breaking through the barricades plus entering the property.

Footage online showed people roaming with the house and swimming in the president’s swimming pool, while others emptied away a chest of drawers, selected through the president’s things and used his luxurious bathroom.

The contrast between the luxurious of the palace as well as the months of difficulty endured by the state’s 22 million people was not lost within the protesters.

“When the whole country is certainly under such stress people have come here to release that pressure. When you see the amusement in this house it is obvious that they have no time to work for the country, ” Chanuka Jayasuriya told Reuters.

Mr Rajapaksa vacated his official residence on Friday like a safety precaution in front of the planned protests, two defence ministry sources said, according to Reuters.

Although it is usually Mr Rajapaksa’s public residence, he usually sleeps at a separate house nearby.

The particular BBC has been not able to confirm the president’s whereabouts.

Protesters also arranged fire to Excellent Minister Wickremesinghe’s private home in an rich neighbourhood of Colombo.

He had said on Saturday that he had been willing to resign to guarantee the safety of civilians and to make method for an all-party government, but soon after their announcement videos began circulating of their house up within flames.

The top minister lives together with his family in the personal home and uses his official home for official business only.