By Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISTANBUL (AA) – Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Monday invited opposition parties to form a unity government to pull the island nation out of the growing economic crisis.
The move came after the Cabinet ministers except for the premier announced their resignations late Sunday.
“The current crisis is due to several economic and global factors and as one of the leading democracies in Asia, it needs to be addressed within the framework of democracy itself,” said a statement by the president’s media office.
“President urges all political parties to unite to find a solution to the national crisis that has arisen,” it said in the statement to Newswire website.
The ruling United National Party members held long meeting on Sunday night where it was decided to form an interim setup. The resignations are expected to be accepted on Monday by the president.
Sri Lanka Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal announced on Monday that he was stepping down after the Cabinet resignations.
“In the context of all Cabinet Ministers resigning, I have today submitted my resignation…,” he said on Twitter.
Meanwhile, anti-government protests were reported in several parts of the country on Monday.
The Sri Lankan government imposed a 36-hour curfew on Saturday across the island nation.
The curfew came after the president on Friday night declared a nationwide state of emergency amid protests over the ongoing economic crisis in the island nation.
Rajapaksa announced the emergency a day after a huge crowd gathered outside his home and demanded his resignation.
He said that the state of emergency is necessary "in the interests of public security, the protection of public order, and maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community."
Sri Lanka has been reeling from the worst economic crisis, which has resulted in 13-hour-long rolling blackouts, and a shortage of fuel, food, and medicines supply.
The country, which needs to repay an estimated $7.3 billion in domestic and foreign loans over the next 12 months, was left with reserves of $2.31 billion as of February and may go bankrupt.