Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has called on all political parties to accept ministerial portfolios "to come together to find solutions" after the majority of his Cabinet resigned yesterday.
As protests raged across the South yesterday, 26 ministers, excluding his brother and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, tendered their resignations amidst the island's worsening crises.
"The current crisis is a result of several economic factors and global developments. As one of the leading democratic countries in Asia, solutions should be found to this within a democratic framework," a press release from the President's media division stated.
However, various opposition political parties have expressed that they are not interested in joining in all-party interim government.
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) spokesperson, M A Sumanthiran reportedly said that “Tamil National Alliance will not be part of this all-party interim government.”
The Tamil National People's Front also rejected the offer, stating that they "will never endorse or join an interim government led by those who have lost the trust of the people. Holding general elections is the only alternative."
Sajith Premadasa has also reportedly declined the President's invitation and tweeted that "an interim Government is nothing but internal party politics."
This morning, a new cabinet of four ministers has been sworn in this morning, with some familiar faces making a return.
Several sources are reporting Ali Sabry has been appointed finance minister, Dinesh Gunawardena the education minister, Johnston Fernando as minister of highways and G L Peiris remaining the foreign affairs minister.
Rallies have continued today, with demonstrators demanding the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
