Sri Lanka's President And Prime Minister Agree To Resign After Days Of Violent Riots

Sri Lanka's President and Prime Minister have agreed to resign following major civil unrest.

The country’s parliamentary speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said in a video statement on Saturday, that Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will step down next Wednesday.

“The decision to step down on 13 July was taken to ensure a peaceful handover of power,” Abeywardena said. “I therefore request the public to respect the law and maintain peace,” he said.

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While Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a statement on Saturday evening, said that he is also willing to resign to make way for an all-party government.

The move comes after months of mostly peaceful anti-government protests over the nation’s dire economic crisis, which finally erupted into thousands of protesters storming the capital and into Mr Rajapaksa's residence.

Protesters then broke into the Prime Minister's private residence setting fire to one of the buildings.

A live Facebook stream showed hundreds of protestors packed into rooms and corridors of the President's house shouting slogans against Mr Rajapaksa.

Thrust into its worst recession since independence in 1948, the island nation of 22 million people is struggling with acute shortages of essential items, leaving people unable to buy food, fuel, medicine and other necessities.

At least 39 people, including two police officers, have been injured in the protests

Many blame Mr Rajapaksa for the countries decline and have demanded his resignation.

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