Sri Lanka – International media reported on Thursday that Gotabaya Rajapaksa has tendered his resignation from the post of President.
The parliament Speaker has also confirmed he has received Mr Rajapaksa’s resignation letter according to news sources.
The former Sri Lankan President is currently in Singapore. Singaporean authorities confirm his arrival however noted that Gotabaya has not requested nor has Singapore granted asylum.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa landed at Velana International Airport (VIA) at approximately 1450 hours on Wednesday via a military jet, after a people’s uprising over the country’s worst economic crisis in recent history brought his family’s powerful grip on the island nation to a choking end.Public ire rose following suggestions that Rapaksa was headed to the neighbouring chain of islands, the outrage further fuelled by news of Maldives’ Parliament Speaker (and former President) Mohamed Nasheed spotted at VIA shortly before said arrival.
After news of the president’s abrupt departure spread, thousands gathered at the leading protest site in Colombo chanting “Gota [colloq. abbreviation for Gotapaksa] thief, Gota thief”. Hundreds of others stormed the prime minister’s office, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
