Sri Lanka Crisis: Rajapaksa To Resign From Premiership On Dec. 15

Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was appointed prime minister in a controversial move, will resign on Saturday, his son announced on Friday.

The announcement came shortly after the Supreme Court refused to stay a court order that restrained the embattled former strongman from holding the office until it fully heard the case next month.

Rajapaksa was appointed as the premier on Oct. 26 by President Maithripala Sirisena after sacking Ranil Wickremesinghe, plunging the nation into a constitutional crisis.

“To ensure stability of the nation, former president Mahinda Rajapaksa has decided to resign from the Premiership tomorrow after an address to the nation,” Rajapaksa’s son Namal tweeted.

The apex court’s latest ruling came a day after it unanimously declared that the dissolution of Parliament by President Maithripala Sirisena was “illegal”, in a body blow to the leader, whose controversial decisions plunged the island nation into an unprecedented political turmoil.

The Supreme Court decided that a Court of Appeal order issued against the appointment of Rajapaksa as prime minister and against his cabinet from holding office will stand.

The appeal filed by Rajapaksa will be taken up for hearing on Jan. 16, 17 and 18.