Finally! Sri Lanka’s President Rajapaksa Tenders Resignation
Sri Lanka’s President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has formally resigned from office after months of protests by citizens due to the country’s economic collapse and widespread hardship.
According to New York Times, Mr Rajapaksa submitted his resignation by email from Singapore where he fled to after first fleeing to the Maldives. Mr Rajapaksa fled the country to the Maldives on an air force flight after weeks of protests and the storming of his office on Saturday.
The report also noted that Singapore’s foreign ministry had confirmed Mr Rajapaksa’s entry.
It was said he has neither been granted nor had asked for asylum.
On Wednesday, four-time Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed as the country’s acting president.
Protests outside Sri Lanka’s parliament in Colombo had left some 42 people injured. One soldier reportedly had his rifle and 60 rounds of ammunition seized by a mob of protesters.
The prime minister’s private residence was burnt down during the protests on Saturday.
A state of emergency was declared on Wednesday to control the protests in Colombo. The curfew was lifted at dawn on Thursday.