Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is sworn in as Sri Lanka's interim president until parliament elects a successor to Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who resigned after mass protests over the country's economic collapse forced him from office.
The protesters accuse Mr Rajapaksa and his powerful political family of siphoning money from government coffers for years and of hastening the country's collapse by mismanaging the economy.
Maduka Iroshan, 26, a university student and protester, said he was "thrilled" that Mr Rajapaksa had quit, because he "ruined the dreams of the young generation."Months of protests reached a frenzied peak over the weekend when demonstrators stormed the president's home and office and Mr Wickremesinghe's official residence. On Wednesday, they seized his office.
"The fear was that there could be a crack in the trust they held for the struggle," said Nuzly, a protest leader who goes by one name.Calm and order is beginning to return to Colombo's streets following the resignation of Mr Rajapaksa.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Resignation by email: Sri Lankan president quits after touching down in SingaporeA short time after Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa landed in Singapore, he emailed his resignation home to Colombo.
Read more »
Sri Lankan president resigns by email after fleeing to SingaporeProtesters have taken to the the streets in Sri Lanka to celebrate the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. 9News
Read more »
Protesters storm Sri Lanka prime minister's office after state of emergency declaredProtesters in Sri Lanka have defied tear gas, water cannon and a state of emergency to storm the prime minister's office after the president fled overseas, with the crowd demanding both men step down in the face of an economic crisis:
Read more »
‘This is a huge moment’: Sri Lankans vow to continue protests until demands are metPresident has fled the country but protesters say they will not stop fighting until there is ‘freedom from corrupt leaders’
Read more »
State of emergency declared in Sri Lanka as president flees, protesters storm PM's officeSri Lanka's president fled the country without stepping down on Wednesday, plunging a country already reeling from economic chaos into more political turmoil. Protesters then trained their ire on the prime minister and stormed his office. 9News
Read more »