Resignation Sri Lanka’s president has been accepted, the crisis-hit country’s parliamentary speaker announced on Friday, after he fled the country earlier this week and informed Singapore that he was stepping down.
The formal announcement makes Gotabaya Rajapaksa – known as ‘The Terminator’ for his ruthless crushing of Tamil rebels – the first Sri Lankan head of state to resign since becoming acting president in 1978.
He emailed in his resignation from Singapore after flying to the city-state from the Maldives, where he initially fled after protesters overrun His palace over the weekend.
In pictures: rioters ransacked the residence of sri lankan president
“Gotabaya has legally resigned from Thursday”, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abhaywardhan told reporters. “I have accepted the resignation.”
Under Sri Lanka’s constitution, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe – whose departure is also being demanded by protesters – will automatically become acting president until parliament elects an MP to succeed Rajapaksa for the remainder of his term. Can do
Abhayvardhan told reporters at his residence that the legislature would be summoned on Saturday, expressing hope that the election process would be completed “within seven days”.
Rajapaksa’s departure came after months of protests over what critics said was his mismanagement of the island nation’s economy, causing severe hardship to its 22 million people.
On a seafront, which served as the headquarters of the protest movement that ousted him, a small crowd gathered their remaining strength to celebrate his resignation late Thursday.
There were only a few hundred people to mark the milestone, after tear gas barrages and tense clashes with security forces in the previous days left many veterans of the protest movement exhausted.
“I definitely feel, I think the crowd here definitely feels, quite happy about it,” said activist Vrey Balthazar. AFP,
‘Private Tour’ of Singapore
Rajapaksa, his wife Ioma and their two bodyguards arrived in Singapore on a Saudi Airlines flight from the Maldives.
As president, Rajapaksa was exempt from arrest, and it is understood that he intended to go abroad before leaving office to avoid the possibility of being detained.
Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed is believed to have played a role behind the scenes in getting him out of the country, and said Rajapaksa feared he would be executed if he persisted.
“I believe the President would have been in Sri Lanka and not resigned for fear of losing his life,” Nasheed tweeted.
Singapore’s foreign ministry confirmed that Rajapaksa was allowed to enter the city-state for a “private visit”, adding: “He has not sought asylum nor has he been granted any asylum.”
According to Sri Lankan security sources, he is expected to stay in Singapore for some time before leaving for the United Arab Emirates.
Sri Lanka defaulted on $51 billion of its foreign debt in April due to the escalating economic crisis, and is in talks with the IMF for a possible bailout.
But talks have been stalled by political turmoil, and an IMF spokesman said on Thursday that the fund hopes the unrest can be resolved soon enough to resume talks.
The island has nearly exhausted its already scarce supply of petrol, with the government ordering non-essential offices and schools to close to reduce commuting and save fuel.
protestors exit
In Colombo, protesters on Thursday left several symbolic state buildings they had occupied in recent days after Wickremesinghe directed security forces to restore order and declare a state of emergency.
Witnesses saw dozens of activists leave Wickremesinghe’s office as armed police and security forces moved in.
Curfew was imposed in the capital and armored personnel carriers were patrolling some areas.
Ever since the prime minister’s compound was opened to the public and his security guards withdrew, hundreds of thousands of people have visited him.
By Thursday afternoon, the gates were closed, armed guards stationed both inside and outside.
Police said a soldier and a constable were injured in clashes with protesters outside the national parliament as security forces tried to storm the legislature.
Protesters also left the studio of the main state television station after vandalizing on Wednesday.
Colombo’s main hospital said around 85 people were admitted with injuries on Wednesday, including one who died of suffocation after tear gas was fired at the prime minister’s office.
New orders were issued Thursday for the army and police to vigorously prevent any violence, and firefighters were warned that they were “legitimately empowered to use their force”.
But Chirath Chaturanga Jayalath, a 26-year-old student, said: “You can’t stop this protest by killing people. They will shoot us in the head but we do it with our hearts.”