<p>Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa will step down from the post as prime minister tomorrow, in the latest twist to the island’s political crisis.</p>
<p>His son and parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa tweeted the announcement, stating it was done “to ensure stability of the nation”.</p>
<p>Rajapaksa is expected to give an announcement tomorrow.</p>
<p>“The SLPP with Frm President, SLFP & others will now work to form a broader political coalition with President Sirisena,” Namal added.</p>
<p>"Unless the prime minister resigns, another prime minister cannot be appointed, said pro-Rajapaksa parliamentarian Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena. “But the country needs to face situations that it needs to face in January, a country cannot function without a budget."</p>
<p>Mahinda Rajapaksa notoriously oversaw the massive military offensive that killed tens of thousands of Tamils during his tenure as president, which ended in 2015. Colombo was plunged into a political crisis, after current president Maithripala Sirisena appointed him as prime minister in October, leaving much of the government paralysed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
We need your support. Every contribution counts.
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.