Sri Lankan political parties will continue negotiations on Monday to form a unity government

July 10 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The political parties with parliamentary representation of Sri Lanka have been summoned this Monday for a new meeting like the one held this Sunday to negotiate the formation of a government of national unity after the revolution that culminated on Saturday with the announcement of the resignation of the Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, and the current president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Specifically, the Parliamentary Affairs Committee will meet on Monday at 2:00 p.m. (5:30 p.m. Spanish peninsular time) under the chairmanship of the President of Parliament, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.

Meanwhile, the political parties have held private meetings to discuss the situation and from the main opposition alliance, United People’s Power (Samagi Jana Balawegaya or SJB), they take it for granted that their leader, Sajith Premadasa, will be appointed prime minister.

The political agreement that forced the resignation of Rajapaksa assumed that the new interim president would be the one designated by the Constitution, the president of Parliament, Abeywardena.

Meanwhile, the general secretary of the Socialist Front Party, Kumar Gunaratnam, has stressed that whoever occupies government positions must meet the expectations of the struggle that has culminated in political change.

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.

After the protests, the prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has announced his resignation and later Rajapaksa himself has promised that he will leave office next Wednesday.

Already on Sunday the popular mobilization has continued, maintaining the presence of demonstrators in the official residence of the president while waiting for political changes to materialize.