Amid escalating protests in Sri Lanka over the economic crisis, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa has offered to conduct talks with the protestors who are demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and all members of his family from the government. The protests entered their fifth day on Wednesday, and since they started on Saturday, it was carried out continuously by youths demanding a total change of the “corrupt political culture”.

President Gotabaya, who got his ministers to resign in response to public dissatisfaction, failed to win the support of Opposition parties to join a unity cabinet. Meanwhile, The main opposition’s leader Sajith Premadasa has signed three motions that would soon be tabled in Parliament: a motion of no trust, an impeachment motion against President Gotabaya and a motion to repeal 20 amendments that gave him absolute power as President in the year 2020.

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Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since its independence from the UK in 1948. For weeks, People have been protesting over long power cuts and fuel shortages, food and other daily essentials. President Gotabaya has defended his government’s actions, claiming that the foreign exchange crisis was not his fault. The economic downturn was caused mainly by a decline in tourism earnings and falling inward remittances.