On Tuesday, Sri Lanka's main opposition party issued a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Cabinet, accusing them of failing to fulfill their constitutional obligation to provide decent living standards amid the island nation's worst economic crisis in living memory.

A group from the United People's Force party, led by leader Sajith Premadasa, handed the resolution to Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, demanding the no-confidence parliamentary vote.

The move comes amid widespread rallies around the country calling for the resignations of Rajapaksa and his younger brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whom demonstrators blame for the economic catastrophe.

A majority vote in the 225-member Parliament would be required to depose Rajapaksa and the Cabinet. Although the United People's Force has only 54 votes, it hopes to gain support from minor opposition groups and defections from the government Sri Lanka People's Front party. The ruling party had nearly 150 votes, but its support has dwindled in the face of the economic crisis, and defections in a vote of no-confidence are a possibility.

The timing of the no-confidence vote is expected to be decided after members of Parliament convene on Wednesday.

The United People's Force also delivered a no-confidence motion against the president, but even if most parliamentarians voted against him, he would not be forced to resign.

Sri Lanka is on the verge of insolvency following the country's recent statement that it would postpone repayment of its foreign debt. This year, the government is expected to repay $7 billion in foreign loans out of $ 25 billion due by 2026. Sri Lanka's foreign reserves are less than $1 billion.

The foreign currency crisis has restricted imports and resulted in acute shortages of essential commodities such as fuel, cooking gas, medicine, and food. People queue for hours to purchase what they can, and many return home with little, if anything, of what they sought.

Additionally, the motion accuses top government officials of excessive money printing, harming agricultural production by prohibiting chemical fertilizer from achieving 100% organic production, failing to order COVID-19 vaccines promptly, and purchasing them later at a higher price.

Protesters occupied the president's office entrance for the 25th day on Tuesday, demanding the resignations of Rajapaksa family members who have ruled Sri Lanka for the last two decades.