Sri Lanka Crisis : Army deployed in Colombo, promising to appoint a new PM within a week

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa refused to step down on Wednesday amid ongoing protests against the Sri Lankan government's failure to deal with the worst economic crisis since its independence. However, he promised to appoint a new prime minister and youth cabinet this week, which would not include any members of the Rajapaksa family. Earlier, security forces patrolled across the country in armored vehicles to deal with the situation and ensure security.

The army has also been deployed in the streets of the capital Colombo and its suburbs. Security forces have orders to shoot at sight those who loot or damage public property. In a late night address to the nation after meeting former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, President Gotabaya said that after the appointment of a new prime minister and government, a constitutional amendment would be brought to give shape to the 19th amendment to the constitution, through which Parliament would be given more powers.

He promised that he would give an opportunity to the new Prime Minister and the government to launch new programs to take the country forward. The new government will have a majority in the 225-member parliament.