Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today announced his resignation, four days after his party failed the presidential election.

In a national speech, Wickremesinghe said he had announced his decision to the new Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was sworn in on November 18. The resignation of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe will allow a newly formed minority government.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa President is expected to appoint his brother, Mahinda, who also served as President of Sri Lanka, replacing Wickremesinghe as prime minister.

Wickremesinghe's Sajith Premadasa, Wickremesinghe's presidential candidate for the United Democratic Party (UNP) lost to opposition opponent Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the November 16 election by more than 10 percentage points.

Rajapaksa's party did not have enough seats in parliament, so it depended on the UNP to form a minority government until the next parliamentary election.

Rajapaksa, 70, a former Sri Lankan defense minister, launched a campaign campaign pledging to ensure security and fight religious extremism. The pledge was made amidst Sri Lanka's shaking because of a series of terrorist attacks on churches and hotels on April 21 that killed 258 people.