Sri Lanka’s strongman leader Mahinda Rajapaksa will step down from his disputed position of the prime minister on Saturday, his son said. Rajapaksa’s legislator son, Namal Rajapaksa, tweeted on Friday that his father will quit “to ensure stability of the nation”.
The South Asian island nation has had no functioning government for nearly two weeks and is facing the prospect of being unable to pass a budget for next year.
Pro-Rajapaksa legislator, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, said the former president decided to resign following a meeting with President Maithripala Sirisena, allowing the president to appoint a new government.
Rajapaksa’s decision to quit signals an end to a crippling seven-week long power struggle in the South Asian island nation. Sri Lanka’s political crisis began in October when President Maithripala Sirisena abruptly sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed Rajapaksa in his place.
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