Crisis-hit in a late-night meeting on Sunday, Sri Lanka‘s cabinet resigned masse from their jobs, according to the education minister, as anti-government rallies continued to increase in spite of curfews.
Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told reporters that, with the exception of the president and his elder brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, all 26 ministers had resigned.
‘All of the ministers have submitted their letters of resignation in order for the president to convene a new cabinet,’ Gunawardena explained, adding that the decision was reached after a discussion about the deteriorating economic crisis in Sri Lanka.
One hundred and thirty-three members of the powerful Rajapaksa family were among those who departed in the face of rising public outrage over serious shortages of foodstuffs, fuel, and medications affecting the 22 million-strong South Asian nation.
The resignations included the youngest Rajapaksa brother, Basil, who served as finance minister, their eldest brother, Chamal, who served as agriculture minister, and the family’s scion, Namal, who served as sports minister.
An estimated 20,000 people disobeyed a weekend curfew on Sunday to demonstrate around the island, calling for an end to Rajapakse rule, which was reinstated in November of this year.
