Sri Lanka’s Transport Minister resigns amid popular revolt against Rajapaksa

July 9 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Sri Lankan Minister of Transport, Highways and Media, Bandula Gunawardena, announced his resignation on Saturday amid the popular revolt against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his already resigned Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Gunawardena has published his intention to resign through his Facebook page in a message in which he also explains that he is giving up his membership in the pro-reform Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party, which has already joined the calls for resignation against Rajapaksa. Yes, he will continue to serve as an independent deputy in the Sri Lankan Parliament.

Meanwhile, after the resignation of Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister, the more than probable resignation of Rajapaksa remains, to whom the President of Parliament, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, has already formally informed of the agreement reached by all the political forces to request his resignation.

The importance of this request lies in the fact that Rajapaksa himself has promised to comply with what the political leaders gathered at this meeting ask of him. Rajapaksa has informed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that he would respect the decision made by the leaders of the political parties, according to the Sri Lankan news portal Ada Derana.

This Saturday thousands of people have demonstrated in Colombo and other Sri Lankan cities to protest against Rajapaksa after months of protests. Protesters have stormed the official presidential residence and the president’s whereabouts are unknown.