Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned on Saturday, his son and a party lawmaker told Reuters, seven weeks after President Maithripala Sirisena appointed him in controversial circumstances.
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His son Namal Rajapaksa, also a lawmaker, said his father would make a statement soon.
"He just signed the resignation letter in front of party members," Shehan Semasinghe, a legislator from Rajapaksa's party, told Reuters.
The move would force President Maithripala Sirisena to appoint a replacement to avert a possible government shutdown on January 1.
The nation has been in political gridlock for over a month since Sirisena replaced former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe with Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was then twice sacked by parliament but has refused to resign.
Sirisena did not accept the parliamentary votes, saying that due procedure was not followed.
Australian Associated Press
