Colombo: The resignation of 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 them that Singapore that he was going down.
Gotabaya makes formal announcement Rajapaksa – Once known as ‘The Terminator’ for his brutal 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 took over his palace over the weekend.
“Gotabaya has legally resigned”, effective Thursday, Speaker Mahindra 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 and he expected the election process to 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.
Gotabaya makes formal announcement Rajapaksa – Once known as ‘The Terminator’ for his brutal 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 took over his palace over the weekend.
“Gotabaya has legally resigned”, effective Thursday, Speaker Mahindra 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 and he expected the election process to 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.