Status: 07/13/2022 09:27 am
Sri Lanka’s President Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives – probably to avoid prosecution. The departure was applauded. A state of emergency was declared due to ongoing demonstrations.
Sri Lanka’s de facto ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has defected to the Maldives. A military plane with the 73-year-old and his wife on board landed at the capital’s airport in Male, as the local authorities confirmed. He is said to have been taken to an unknown location under police protection.
Rajapaksa announced on Saturday that he intends to officially step down as President of the South Asian island state today. He justified the delay by wanting to organize an “orderly transfer of power”. Parliament is scheduled to elect a new head of state on July 20.
state of emergency declared
A state of emergency has been declared in Sri Lanka. The measure applies nationwide, said a government spokesman for the AFP news agency. The police also imposed a curfew in Sri Lanka’s western province, which includes the capital Colombo. According to AFP, a senior police officer referred to ongoing protests in front of the Prime Minister’s office. The police have orders to take action against the demonstrators.
Because the news of Rajapaksa’s departure had triggered jubilation among the demonstrators in Colombo. At the weekend, an angry crowd stormed the presidential palace and an office building of the head of state. The security forces let her do it. Fire had been set at Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s private residence.
Premier offers to resign
Wickremesinghe also offered his resignation. According to Sri Lanka’s constitution, however, he could initially act as acting president on an interim basis. According to information from the Archyde.com news agency, this is supported by leading members of the ruling party.
Many demonstrators are opposed to Wickremesinghe taking over the presidency, even on an interim basis. He is considered a close confidante of the fled president. The threat of a general strike is in the air.
Rajapaksa may want to avoid prosecution
Yesterday the President tried unsuccessfully to leave the country. According to observers, he wanted to avoid possible arrest by leaving the country before resigning. The head of state is accused of mismanagement of the economy. As long as he is still president, he enjoys immunity from prosecution.
The island state is experiencing a massive economic crisis. The government was recently no longer able to finance the most important imports such as food, fuel and medicines. The electricity keeps going out.
In the course of the corona pandemic, the economically important tourism sector in Sri Lanka collapsed. The small island nation is heavily indebted and asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Russia for help. Many demonstrators blame the president and his family for the abuses. Rajapaksa had filled many key government positions with close family members.