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The Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) has decided to give continuity to the five-party alliance till the federal and provincial elections.

The Central Executive Committee and Central Committee meeting of the JSP that concluded in Birgunj on Thursday decided to give continuity to the coalition in the forthcoming elections.

Making public the decisions by organizing a press conference in Birgunj on Friday, Chairman Upendra Yadav said that the party will give continuity to the alliance till the elections.

He said that the meeting made this decision as the coalition, which was formed to defeat the regression after the then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli dissolved the House two times, took the country towards political stability by safeguarding the democracy and defeating the regression.

“However, the party has some bitter experiences in the local level elections as well. But we have thought that the coalition is still necessary for the country,” he said, adding, “That is why, we will move ahead by forging an alliance in the elections.”

He also said that the meeting has decided to remove federal council Chairman Baburam Bhattarai from the party.

Along with Bhattarai, the meeting has also decided to relieve eight other central executive members of their duties, Yadav said.

Similarly, the meeting has unanimously elected senior leader Ashok Rai as the chairman of the federal council.

On a different note, Chairman Yadav said that the Citizenship Bill presented in the Parliament will be endorsed through fast track.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has tendered his resignation after populist coalition partner Five Star withdrew its support in a confidence vote, BBC reported.

The former head of the European Central Bank has led a unity government since February 2021.

In a statement, he said the pact of trust that had sustained the unity government had gone.

However, the president refused to accept his resignation.

President Sergio Mattarella appointed Mr Draghi to lead Italy's post-Covid pandemic recovery, and save the country from endemic instability. He has now called on Mr Draghi to address parliament to provide a clear picture of the political situation.

The effect of President Mattarella's intervention is not entirely clear. Mr Draghi is expected to go to parliament next Wednesday - and with sufficient backing could remain in office.

The extraordinary developments in Rome capped a day of drama triggered when Five Star leader Giuseppe Conte refused to back the government's €23bn (£19.5bn) package of economic aid for families and businesses, arguing Mr Draghi was not doing enough to tackle the cost of living crisis.

Even though the government comfortably won Thursday's vote in the Senate with the help of other parties, the man dubbed "Super Mario" had warned repeatedly that without Five Star's support the government could not continue, BBC reported.

Mr Draghi paid a first, hour-long visit to President Mattarella and, after reflecting on his future, issued his statement of resignation. 

"Today's votes in Parliament are very significant from a political point of view. The national unity majority that supported this government since its creation no longer exists," he said. After addressing ministers he returned to the Quirinale palace to tender his resignation to the president. Avoiding the cameras, he did not use the main door.

Elections were already due early in 2023 and, if the government does collapse, a vote is likely to take place this autumn. Several parties on the right are keen on early elections, but a period of political uncertainty will jeopardise Italy's efforts to tackle a looming energy crisis and pass next year's budget to secure EU funding. 

Right up to the Senate vote, attempts were made to resolve the coalition crisis. Milan's stock market tumbled 3.4% as nervousness spread to investors in the eurozone's third biggest economy.

European Union Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni, who is himself a former Italian prime minister, said earlier the EU's executive was watching developments in Rome "with worried astonishment". The head of Italy's industry group Confindustria said Five Star's decision had shown "total irresponsibility".

Five Star was originally the biggest party in the coalition, but has seen a string of defections and falling support. Former party leader Luigi di Maio accused it of a cynical plan to bring down the Draghi government to revive its own support, while dragging Italy to economic and social collapse, according to BBC.

Parties across the political spectrum have had next year's general election in their sights, especially on the right. Matteo Salvini of the far-right League and Giorgia Meloni of Brothers of Italy are competing for leadership of a potential right-wing coalition.

Ms Meloni called for elections, immediately announcing: "I'm ready to govern." Mr Salvini said a period of political paralysis was unthinkable.

Politicians on the left are less prepared for elections and Democratic Party Secretary Enrico Letta said the focus now had to be on reconstructing a coalition in parliament so that the Draghi government could restart, BBC reported.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has tendered his resignation in a letter sent by email to parliamentary speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardenena, according to an announcement from the speaker's office Thursday, CNN reported.

Rajapaksa landed in Singapore on a flight from Maldives earlier after fleeing his country in the wake of anti-government protests.

Abeywardenena has received an email with Rajapaksa's resignation, the speaker's office confirmed to CNN Thursday, but added that "we cannot accept such an email at face value."

"The legality of it needs to be ascertained. It has been shared with the relevant authorities for the verification of the same," the office said. "Once we have official confirmation and it is legally verified, we hope to make a statement regarding it tomorrow [Friday] morning."

Abeywardenena's office added that it is expecting to receive a paper copy of the letter, but that would take longer as it would be sent from Singapore. 

According to a high-ranking government source the letter was emailed after ​Rajapaksa arrived in Singapore​. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details that have not been shared publicly by officials.

Singapore said Rajapaska had been allowed to enter the country on a "private visit" but had not asked for or been granted asylum.

"It is confirmed that Mr. Rajapaksa has been allowed entry into Singapore on a private visit. He has not asked for asylum and neither has he been granted any asylum. Singapore generally does not grant requests for asylum," the Singapore Foreign Ministry statement read.

Rajapaksa pledged to quit over the weekend after angry demonstrators broke into his official residence, swam in his pool and demanded the end of his family's ruling dynasty. He left the Maldivian capital Malé on board a "Saudi flight," a high-ranking security source in Colombo told CNN. 

CNN believes the source was referring to Saudia flight 788, which left Malé at 11:30 a.m., according to the source. The flight landed in Singapore at 7:17 p.m. local time Thursday, according to the Changi Airport website. CNN has reached out to Saudia, Saudi Arabia's flag carrier, but has not heard back.

Rajapaksa had been in Maldives for one day after fleeing Sri Lanka in the early hours of Wednesday -- the same day he had said he would resign, according to CNN.

But the absence of a formal resignation letter raised questions about the intentions of an apparently self-exiled leader who appointed the prime minister as acting president after leaving his island nation.

Shortly after Rajapaksa left the country, protesters stormed Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe's office to demand his removal. Wickremesinghe responded by calling a nationwide curfew overnight.

On Thursday, Wickremesinghe granted Sri Lanka's armed forces special powers of arrest, and instructed them to "exercise force" if necessary to dispel protests across the nation, army spokesman Brigadier Nilantha Premaratne said in a televised address.

"In view of the escalation of violent acts, protesters intent on harming the armed forces or public property are earnestly urged to desist from all forms of violence immediately or be prepared to face consequences as members of the armed forces are legitimately empowered to exercise force," Premaratne said.

Rajapaksa formally submits his resignation letter, Speaker Abeywardena said Thursday. 

Previously, parliament had been expected to start the process of selecting a new president on Saturday, with the goal of voting in a new leader by July 20. 

That timeline is now on hold until Rajapaksa officially leaves his post. 

Many protesters have vowed to continue to demonstrate until both men step down.

By Thursday morning, as questions swirled over Sri Lanka's future, a calm had descended on the streets of the commercial capital Colombo.

A lawyer representing the People's Protest Movement said Thursday all occupied buildings, except the Presidential Secretariat, will be handed back to authorities. 

"We want to affirm that this is a peaceful protest and have no intention to resort to any form of violence," Swasthika Arulingam told reporters. 

"This has always been and will continue to be a peaceful movement."

But everywhere there are signs that the country remains on a knife edge, CNN reported.

Amid crippling shortages of fuel, abandoned vehicles line the streets near gas stations. People are no longer able to drive to work, so they cycle instead. Some have taken to sleeping in their cars. 

The Sri Lankan police force said one police officer had been seriously injured during the protests and was receiving treatment in hospital. An army sergeant had also been injured, it added. 

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres on Thursday said he was following the events in Sri Lanka "very closely" and called for a "peaceful and democratic transition."

"It is important that the root causes of the conflict and protesters' grievances are addressed," he wrote on Twitter. "I urge all party leaders to embrace the spirit of compromise for a peaceful and democratic transition."

In the past few days the parallels between Nepal and Sri Lanka have been endlessly drawn. Many fear that if our political class does not soon mend its self-serving ways, people here too could take things into their hands. We have been there before. After all, weren’t anti-monarchy protesters in 2006 uncomfortably close to storming the royal palace? Who knows what might have happened had King Gyanendra refused to step down on time? A common gripe among Nepalis is that while they forced out one monarch, multiple monarchs have taken his place. This is one cliché that increasingly rings true.

Although these ‘new monarchs’ have been elected to office, they act as entitled as the erstwhile Shah kings. Ditto with their lack of accountability, vulgar opulence, and complete disregard for their people. The public perception of the government took a beating during the previous tenure of KP Sharma Oli as prime minister (most notably, when he twice dissolved the elected house). As Sher Bahadur Deuba completes a year in office, overseeing a brazenly corrupt and unaccountable administration, public faith in elected leaders has further dipped.

Meanwhile, Nepal’s economic woes continue to deepen with a steady loss in value of the Nepali rupee against the dollar, rampant inflation and import controls. If its politicians don’t get their act together, sooner or later, Nepal, again like its South Asian cousin, could also start seeing crippling shortages of food and other daily essentials. The signs are ominous. Until this week the person in charge of Nepal's finances was running the Ministry of Finance as his personal fief—à la Sri Lanka’s “Mr 10 Percent” Basil Rajapaksa. 

Like Basil’s elder brothers, Mahinda and Gotabaya, Nepali leaders are wont to accumulate more and more power. Instead of dismantling the centralized structure—when former PM Oli brought vital state institutions like the National Vigilance Center and the Department of Revenue Investigation under the PMO—Deuba was happy to milk the consolidated system to his benefit. In the name of ‘coalition compulsions’ there have been all kinds of unholy give-and-take. Electoral seats were ‘adjusted’ to accommodate the kith and kin of top leaders. Tax rates were tweaked for the benefit of the already filthy-rich conglomerates. Taxpayer money was haphazardly spent on vanity projects like view towers. 

Senior Sri Lankan economist Nisha Arunatilake tells ApEx that extreme politicization of Sri Lanka’s institutions had resulted in “improper appointments in leadership positions… mismanagement, corruption, lack of transparency and accountability”. Moreover, constant personnel changes in state institutions and tweaking the number of ministries to suit individuals reduced the efficiency of government processes. Such a weak system could not withstand the shock of the Covid-19 pandemic. The war in Ukraine was the final nail in the coffin of the Rajapaksas’ monolithic state.

All these maladies of the island state sound eerily similar to Nepal’s own recent troubles. It will be foolish to continue with business-as-usual in the face of an approaching disaster. As Arunatilake counsels, “The main lesson [from Sri Lanka] is not to wait until you are in a crisis to fight for change.”