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Rabat – Protest leaders have warned Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of “terrible and massive” protests and strikes if he does not quit his post by Wednesday.
The President escaped his palace as crowds stormed it and promised to resign, but many worry that he will not keep his word.
Complaining of the worst economic crisis in decades, as well as fuel and food shortages, Sri Lankans have also demanded that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe step down.
High inflation has meant food, medication, and fuel have become unaffordable for the average Sri Lankan, with many regions experiencing rolling blackouts.
Under the country’s constitution, Wickremesinghe would become the acting president if Rajapaksa were to resign.
“If they do not go by the 13th [of July], we will restart the protests on a different level,” Jeevantha Peiris, a protest organizer, told the BBC.
As of the time of writing, Rajapaksa’s whereabouts are unclear.
An island nation off the southern coast of India, 99% of Sri Lanka’s population is made up of three ethnic groups: Sinhalese, Tamil, and Muslim.
Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government defeated Tamil separatist leaders in 2009, making him a hero to the people. His brother Gotabaya took on the presidency after that, and is still a president to this day.
