Sri Lanka’s president will step down following massive protests

Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa plans to step down, bowing to intense pressure after a violent day of protests in Colombo

The announcement comes amid anti-government protests over a dire economic crisis on the Indian Ocean island of 22 million people.

But unusually, there’s no immediate word from the president himself.

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena says in a video statement that Rajapaksa had informed him that he would step down from his post this coming Wednesday.

“The decision to step down on 13 July was taken to ensure a peaceful handover of power.”

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena

“I therefore request the public to respect the law and maintain peace,” he said.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is also willing to resign to make way for an all-party government.

But it’s not clear whether this will be enough to quell the anger on the streets.

The government hasn’t yet explained how the transition of power will take place either.

Presidential Office overrun

Throughout the day, soldiers and police tried by failed to hold back a crowd of chanting protesters demanding Rajapaksa’s resignation.

Police fired shots in the air but were unable to stop the crowd from surrounding the presidential residence.

Neither Rajapaksa nor Wickremesinghe were in their residences when the buildings were attacked.

A Facebook livestream showed hundreds of protesters inside the Presidential compound, some draped in the national flag.

Video footage showed some of them splashing in the swimming pool, while others sat on a four-poster bed and sofas. Some could be seen emptying out a chest of drawers in images that were widely circulated on social media.

Rajapaksa had left on Friday as a safety precaution ahead of the planned weekend demonstration, two defence ministry sources said. Reuters could not immediately confirm his whereabouts.