US committed to democratic aspirations of Sri Lankan people: Envoy

Colombo: The US is committed to the democratic aspirations of the Sri Lankan people, the US envoy here said on Friday, urging all parties to work together to ensure the rule of law is upheld. The US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Julie Chung, said that following Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation all the parties should join hands to find solutions to the economic crisis. “With Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation, we continue to urge all parties to work together, ensure the rule of law is upheld and find solutions to the economic crisis. The US remains committed to the democratic aspirations of the Sri Lankan people,” Chung tweeted. Rajapaksa agreed to step down after thousands of protesters stormed his official residence, blaming him for the unprecedented economic crisis that has brought the country to its knees. He, however, fled to the Maldives without resigning from his office. From the Maldives, he went to Singapore on Thursday from where he sent in his resignation. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe was on Friday sworn in as the interim president until the House elects a successor to Rajapaksa. Earlier, the US envoy met Sri Lanka’s church leaders and discussed the need for all political parties to address the people’s demands for transparency, democracy and justice. “I met with Rev.Dushantha Rodrigo & SL’s National Christian Council to discuss the need for all political parties to address the people’s demands for transparency, democracy & justice. We also spoke about the vital work that faith-based orgs do for low-income communities in SL,” she tweeted. The European Union in Sri Lanka also called on all parties to act “responsibly, in the interest of the people of the country to ensure that further acts of violence are prevented. “After Pres. Rajapaksa’s resignation, @EU_in_Sri_Lanka reiterates its call to all parties to act responsibly, in the interest of the people of #SriLanka and to ensure that further acts of violence are prevented, in order to pave the way to a solution to the #SriLankaCrisis,” it tweeted. Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, leaving millions struggling to buy food, medicine, fuel and other essentials.

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