COLOMBO, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's challenged Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned on Saturday, but said he would continue calling for a parliamentary election to end the political instability in the island country.
In a televised statement put on the internet, Rajapaksa said following the judgement by the Supreme Court on Thursday, the president's decision to hold the parliamentary election had been off but eventually the people would get the change they desire.
"After the Feb. 10 local government election, our aim was to have a parliamentary election held. Since I have no intention of remaining as prime minister without a parliamentary election being held, and in order to not hamper the president in any way, I will resign from the position of prime minister and make way for the president to form a new government," Rajapaksa said.
He added that when he was sworn in as prime minister on Oct. 26, people saw new opportunities and his caretaker government had provided immediate relief to the people.
Rajapaksa decided to resign from his premiership after the Supreme Court, in a separate verdict on Friday, continued a suspension order on him and his cabinet from continuing in office.
Meanwhile, the United National Party led by Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was sacked as the prime minister on Oct. 26 by President Maithripala Sirisena, said on their official twitter account that Wickremesinghe would be sworn in as prime minister once again on Sunday morning.
A new cabinet is expected to be appointed there after.
