Colombo: Protesters in Sri Lanka have said they will continue to occupy the Sri Lankan presidential and prime ministerial residences until both leaders officially resign, BBC reported on Sunday.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had announced on Saturday that he would be stepping down on 13 July, the parliament’s speaker had announced.
But the president has not been seen or made a public statement himself. Thousands descended on Colombo on Saturday demanding his resignation after months of protests.
The president has been blamed for the country’s economic mismanagement, which has caused shortages of food, fuel and medicine for months.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also said he would step down following Saturday’s protests, in which his private residence was set on fire by the protesters.But protesters remain sceptical about the leaders’ intentions.
“Our struggle is not over,” student protest leader Lahiru Weerasekara said. “We won’t give up this struggle until President Rajapaksa actually leaves,” he said.
Political leaders are due to hold further meetings to discuss a smooth transition of power on Sunday.
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said that any new government needed to immediately focus on long-term economic stability.
