Sri Lanka’s president, who fled mass protests, announced his resignation today. A Gotabaya Rajapaksa spokesman said Gotabaya Rajapaksa had emailed his resignation shortly after his arrival in Singapore. Rajapaksa fled the capital, Colombo, shortly before the storming of the presidential palace on Saturday. He then announced his resignation to allow the “peaceful transfer of power”.
The spokesman told AFP that the “authenticity and legality” of Rajapaksa’s email must now be checked. An official confirmation of his resignation is expected tomorrow. Rajapaksa’s resignation will be the first by a Sri Lankan president since the establishment of a presidential system of government in 1978.
First, Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives with his wife in a military plane. But his arrival there sparked protests. Dozens of Sri Lankans have demonstrated in Mali, the capital of the Maldives, demanding that the local government not provide sanctuary to Rajapaksa. He is now on a “private visit” in Singapore.
According to information from Sri Lankan security departments, Rajapaksa can continue in the UAE. According to observers, the president wanted to avoid arrest by leaving the country before resigning.
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