The embattled president of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who hasn’t been noticed or heard from publicly because the protesters overran his respectable place of abode this weekend, has reconfirmed his plan to step down, the rustic’s high minister mentioned on Monday.

The president informed the high minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, that he would surrender, Mr. Wickremesinghe’s spokesman mentioned. Mr. Rajapaksa’s plan to surrender was once first introduced on Saturday by way of Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, the speaker of Parliament.

Mr. Abeywardena, who is regarded as an best friend of the president’s, mentioned Mr. Rajapaksa had agreed to surrender on Wednesday “to verify a relaxed transition of energy.”

Mr. Rajapaksa hasn’t mentioned so publicly himself, and he has remained in hiding since hundreds of Sri Lankans stormed his place of abode, repeating their monthslong calls for that he depart his put up.

Later that day, Mr. Wickremesinghe mentioned he, too, would surrender. However he hasn’t elaborated on his plans. Protesters burned his house to the bottom on Saturday.

The president’s silence has fueled questions on who’s main the rustic of just about 22 million. It was once additionally unclear what steps the following govt may just straight away take to revive a semblance of normalcy.

The island country has been grappling with the worst financial disaster in its historical past, one who has ended in meals and medication shortages and that has left the federal government necessarily bankrupt. For months, day-to-day lifestyles in Sri Lanka has been upended by way of a gasoline scarcity that has made energy cuts the norm and public delivery virtually nonexistent.

The day-to-day protests towards Mr. Rajapaksa’s govt have already ended in the elimination from the federal government of different members of the family. The president’s elder brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, was once changed by way of Mr. Wickremesinghe as high minister in Might.