Sri Lanka’s newly appointed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has resigned, with the wish to end a long political crisis. The crisis started over his appointment and his resignation letter will allow the president to form a new government. He signed a letter of resignation in the presence of the media, and blessed by Buddhist and other religious leaders. Rajapaksa said, “Since I have no intention of remaining as prime minister without a general election being held, and in order to not hamper the president in any way, I will resign from the position of prime minister and make way for the president to form a new government.”
Till now it is not clear if the letter had been handed over to President Maithripala Sirisena. Rajapaksa’s resignation comes a day after the Supreme Court extended a lower court’s suspension of Rajapaksa and his cabinet. It put off the next hearing until mid-January.
Rajapaksa is a previous dictator president who also considered as a war legend by some. He lost a 2015 re-appointment offer subsequent to confronting charges of wartime outrages, debasement and nepotism. After his arrangement as head administrator, he tried to anchor a larger part in the 225-part parliament however neglected to do as such.
> Alma Siddiqua
