The Sri Lankan opposition leader Sajith Premadasa on Tuesday clarified that his party is ready to form a new government in the island nation. In a statement, Sajith Premadasa, the Leader of the Opposition stated that the mandate of the President, the Prime Minister, and the Pohottuwa (SLPP) government is over. The Opposition leader also alleged that the previous government ‘destroyed the beautiful island nation.

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He further added that his party, Samagi Jana Balawegaya – is ready to rebuild the country.

The opposition leader said that anyone in the parliament opposing the move will be treated as treason. He also added that the opposition is ready to work towards stabilising the country by rebuilding the country’s economy and by appointing a new government led by a new President and a Prime Minister.

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Earlier on Tuesday, the Sri Lankan immigration officials prevented former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa from flying out of the country as anger continued to mount against the political family over the economic crisis in the island nation.

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Basil Rajapaksa’s elder brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa is slated to resign as the President on Wednesday, to make way for the new unity government in that country. He has not been seen in public since Friday and his whereabouts are unknown.

Sri Lanka’s economy, which has been largely tourism-dependent, was hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. The populist decisions by the Rajapaksa family, including by the former prime minister Mahinda Rajapksa, resulted in further worsening the economic condition of the country.

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The shortage of fuel and other essential commodities has triggered massive outrage across Sri Lanka pushing it on the brink of collapse. Some protesters even tried to set Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s private residence in Colombo on fire.

On July 20, the Sri Lankan Parliament is set to elect a new President.