Sri Lankan ministers resign as economic crisis escalates

Colombo: Several members of the cabinet in Sri Lanka, including the prime minister's son, have resigned, just days after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency following protests over a deepening economic crisis.

"We handed our letters of resignation to the prime minister," Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told local media late on Sunday.

"The president and the prime minister will discuss and take relevant decisions."

It was not immediately clear if the entire cabinet or only some of the ministers had offered to quit.

Youth and Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa, nephew of Gotabaya and the son of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, said on Twitter on Monday that he had resigned with immediate effect in the hope it will help "establish stability for the people and the government".

SOURCE: Reuters