Mahinda Rajapaksa resigns as Sri Lanka's PM

December 15, 2018 11:45

Sri Lankas Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned today to end the country's political crisis.

The pro-Rajapaksa member, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, told reporters that Rajapaksa decided on Friday in a meeting with President Maithripala Sirisena to resign to allow the president to appoint a new government.

Sri Lanka has had no functioning government for nearly two weeks and is facing the prospect of being unable to pass a budget for next year.

The decision appears to have been hastened by a Supreme Court decision to extend a lower court's suspension of Rajapaksa and his Cabinet.

The top court put off the next hearing until mid-January, when it plans to rule on whether they should hold office after losing two no-confidence votes in parliament.

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