Sri Lankan PM's speech tonight, Prez Rajapaksa meets Sirisena: 5 top points

Sri Lanka is witnessing massive protests by the citizens who are grappling with food and fuel shortage. The Rajapaksa government is in minority after several lawmakers have exited the coalition.

The economic crisis in Sri Lanka is far from over. The island nation continues to face massive protests by the citizens grappling with fuel and food scarcity. The country is also facing a foreign currency shortage which has affected its capacity to import fuel and food. Amid the economic mess, political stalemate continues in the country with the ruling Rajapaksa government in minority after dozens of lawmakers exited the coalition.

Here are the top ten big developments from Sri Lanka.

1. Sri Lankan prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will issue a special statement tonight, his office said in a statement. The speech comes at a time amid calls asking the president Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the prime minister to step down.

Demonstrators hold placards as they take part in a protest against the economic crisis at the entrance of the president's office in Colombo. Severe shortages of food and fuel, alongside lengthy electricity blackouts, have led to weeks of widespread anti-government demonstrations with calls for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign. (AFP)

2. The meeting between President Rajapaksa and former president Maithripala Sirisena-led Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to discuss the political and economic crisis affecting the country ended inconclusive. "The main objective of the meeting is to coerce President Rajapaksa to form an interim administration under an all-party cabinet sans Rajapaksas with the least number of portfolios," Srisena had said addressing the media at the party office prior to the meeting.

3. Sri Lanka's leader of opposition Sajith Premadasa said the opposition parties will use constitutional provisions to change the government, dismissing the no-confidence vote that was carried out in Pakistan. “Pakistan has its own method of conducting democratic politics while we have our own Constitutional provisions and we will not be following anything else other than the Constitution of our country,” Premdasa told ANI.

4. The meeting between president Rajapaksa and the group of independents from his own SLPP coalition on Sunday failed to make any progress. "We discussed our letter which contained 11 points in regard to our proposal, the talks would continue," Vasudeva Nanayakkara, an independent group member, told reporters on Monday.

5. The International Monetary Fund has said it will hold discussions with senior Sri Lankan policymakers in the “coming days and weeks” about a possible support program to help the island nation overcome an economic crisis.

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)