Lankan President Says Won’t Resign As Opposition Rejects His Unity Offer: 10 Points

Colombo: Sri Lanka Crisis: Sri Lanka’s Opposition parties on Monday rejected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s invitation to join the proposed unity government as a “sham”

Sri Lanka’s opposition dismissed President Rajapaksa’s invitation to join a unity government as “nonsensical” and instead demanded his resignation over the country’s worsening shortages of food, fuel and medicines.

Lanka’s parliament will convene today in its first session since a state of emergency was imposed as the country grapples with protests and mounting demands for the president’s resignation over a worsening economic crisis.

There have been mass public agitations against the ruling Rajapaksa family for its mishandling of the economic situation triggered by the foreign exchange crisis and the balance of payment issues.

The country’s central bank governor Ajith Cabraal stepped down on Monday after the cabinet quit to make way for a new administration to manage the spiralling economic crisis.

After the protests intensified, Internet service providers were ordered to block access to social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and YouTube. The social media curbs were lifted in the second half of Sunday.