Text/Dongfeng
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa agreed to resign after a dramatic day in which his home and office were stormed in by protesters. Earlier, in a late-night message through Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa, the controversial president said he would step down on July 13 to "ensure a peaceful transition of power."
Foreign media said that this was a historic victory for the protesters. Protesters have been demanding his resignation for months and gathered on the streets of Colombo on Saturday. At the same time, Sri Lanka is grappling with the worst economic crisis since independence.
Earlier, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said at a meeting of party leaders that he would also resign once a new multiparty government was formed. And on Saturday, an unusual scene occurred when protesters broke through police barricades and stormed the president's residence. Images and eyewitness accounts show people pouring up the grand staircase of this colonial-era building, chanting slogans such as "President Down."
As protesters poured into bedrooms and kitchens and looted the president's belongings, many took full advantage of the president's lavish amenities. In recent weeks, the president's facilities have been unable to provide them with food and fuel shortages. Protesters can be seen cooking curry in the kitchen, lying in bed and on the couch, lifting weights and jogging in his private gym, and jumping into the outdoor pool.
The president was not home that day, he had fled under the protection of the army the night before, and he was still in hiding when Saturday's incident occurred. Rajith, a 50-year-old citizen, said he had come to the protest because he had two young children and was "not eating." When he entered the president's home, he said he was shocked, "They don't lack anything." We saw their luxurious rooms, their air conditioning, their gas, they even had so many purebred pets. ”
Danu was also one of those who stormed into the president's residence, riding his bike from galle city for more than 6 hours to participate in the protests. She said, "I came because something terrible had happened here, and I saw at the president's house how he enjoyed his life with taxpayer money, and now he's hiding like a coward's dog." The president fled because he was a thief. ”
At present, much of the anger and accusations of Sri Lanka's economic crisis are directed at the presidential family and the Rajapaksa family, the strongest political dynasty in Sri Lanka, who have held the presidency, prime minister, finance minister and several other senior cabinet positions in the government family.
The Rajapaksa family is believed to be pursuing an ultra-nationalist agenda, accused of corruption, poor economic management and pushing the country into bankruptcy. Since March, there have been widespread protests demanding that Rajapaksa, and in particular the president, be ousted from office and held accountable for the dire economic environment that the country's 22 million people are currently struggling with.
Rajapaksa, a former military man accused of war crimes during his tenure as defense minister, has refused to step down for months and is the last member of Rajapaksa's family. He will resign next week, which will mark the end of the Rajapaksa family's 20-year grip on Sri Lankan politics.
On Saturday night, the atmosphere in the streets of Colombo became tense as protesters broke through security barriers and set fire to Wickremesinghe's house. After the president's brother, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was forced to step down in May, Viklemasingha was appointed caretaker prime minister and faces calls to resign on charges of supporting Rajapaksa's regime. Before the arson, protesters and police confronted each other outside Viquele Massine's house for several hours, firing several rounds of tear gas at the crowd.
Despite fuel shortages, tens of thousands of people poured into Colombo city centre on Saturday morning, with many requisitioning trucks and buses for the largest protest against the president to date. As the crowd swelled and shoved the barricades, police began firing tear gas. But they failed to stop angry protesters, who moved toward the president's home, first breaking police barricades and then storming into mansions, many holding Sri Lankan flags and shouting slogans.