Lawmaker: Sri Lanka president agrees to take away brother as PM

Sri Lanka’s president has agreed to switch his older brother as prime minister in a proposed interim authorities to resolve a political deadlock brought on by the nation’s worst financial disaster in many years, a outstanding lawmaker stated Friday.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa agreed {that a} nationwide council will probably be appointed to call a brand new prime minister and Cabinet comprised of all events in Parliament, lawmaker Maithripala Sirisena stated after assembly with the president.

Sirisena, who was president earlier than Rajapaksa, was a governing get together lawmaker earlier than defecting earlier this month together with practically 40 different legislators.

Sri Lanka is close to chapter and has introduced it’s suspending funds on its international loans. It has to repay $7 billion in international debt this 12 months, and $25 billion by 2026. Its international reserves stand at lower than $1 billion.

The international change scarcity has severely restricted imports, forcing individuals to attend in lengthy strains to purchase necessities comparable to meals, gasoline, cooking gasoline and medication.

Rajapaksa and his household, together with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, have dominated practically each facet of life in Sri Lanka for a lot of the final 20 years. Protesters who’ve crowded the streets since March maintain them accountable for the disaster.