By Seda Sevencan and Emel Oz
ISTANBUL (AA) - Amid a turmoil that caused the prime minister to quit, Sri Lanka’s president on Thursday vowed changes to strengthen the country’s parliament.
“The new gov will be given the opportunity to present a new program & empowered to take the country forward. Further, steps will be taken to amend the constitution to re-enact the contents of the 19th Amendment to further empower the Parliament,” Gotabaya Rajapaksa wrote on Twitter.
Rajapaksa said steps will be taken to form a new government to prevent Sri Lanka from “falling into anarchy and to maintain the affairs of the state that have come to a halt.”
Rajapaksa added that a prime minister who commands a majority in parliament and is able to secure the confidence of the people will be appointed this week, replacing Mahinda Rajapaksa, the president's brother who stepped down on Monday.
The president also asked for assistance in maintaining the uninterrupted function of the state machinery in order to protect the lives of the people and their property.
- What happened in Sri Lanka
People took to the streets at the end of March, protesting hours-long daily power cuts and shortages of food, fuel, and other vital goods after a foreign exchange shortage led to the island country’s worst-ever economic crisis.
On May 9, clashes erupted between government supporters and protesters gathered around the Prime Minister's Office, and military units were called to the capital Colombo.
Amid growing pressure from the opposition, Mahinda Rajapaksa stepped down.
The government declared a nationwide curfew and ordered troops to open fire on anyone looting public property or causing harm to life.
In nationwide protests, eight people, including a ruling party deputy and two police officers, lost their lives and nearly 250 people were injured.