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NATION JULY 22, 2022 | The Indian Eye 8

From Colombo to Male to Singapore:

How Sri Lankan president escaped people’s ire

The speaker appoints Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the interim President of Sri Lanka

OUR BUREAU ther to the Middle East. As per various
media reports, the Sri Lankan Presi-
Colombo/Singapore
dent and his wife, who took Saudia
mid pressure from the pub- Airlines flight SV788 to Singapore,
lic uprising in Sri Lanka, the were expected to travel to Jeddah.
Acountry’s embattled Presi- Rajapaksa, 73, had gone into
dent Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thurs- hiding after crowds of protesters
day tendered his resignation to the stormed his residence on July 9
Speaker of the Parliament. Sri Lank- and he had announced that he will
an Speaker’s office said that the hand over his resignation letter on
Speaker of Parliament has received Wednesday. Earlier, Rajapaksa
the resignation letter of Rajapaksa. along with his wife escaped to the
Meanwhile, Singapore’s Ministry of Maldives. Subsequently, the speak-
Foreign Affairs confirmed that Ra- er appointed Prime Minister Ranil
japaksa has been allowed entry into Wickremesinghe as the interim Pres-
Singapore on a private visit and he ident of Sri Lanka.
has not asked for asylum nor has he Earlier in the day, “GotaGoG-
been granted asylum. ama” protesters announced that they
“In response to media queries, it will peacefully hand over govern-
is confirmed that Mr Rajapaksa has ment-occupied buildings including
been allowed entry into Singapore President’s House, Presidential Sec-
on a private visit. He has not asked retariat, and Prime Minister’s Office,
for asylum and neither has he been aiming to restore peace in the country.
granted any asylum. Singapore gen- Sri Lanka Army deployed tanks
erally does not grant requests for asy- near Parliament on Thursday to pre-
lum,” said the Singapore MFA. A photograph shared on social media, shows President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and First Lady vent protesters from entering the
After Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s visit Parliament.
to the Maldives triggered protests in Ioma, at Terminal 03, Changi Airport in Singapore (ANI Photo) Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan
the nation, the Ministry of Foreign Army soldiers are said to have been
Affairs of Maldives clarified that the authorized to use necessary force to
aircraft carrying Sri Lankan Presi- prevent the destruction of property
dent was granted diplomatic clear- and life amid the ongoing protests in
ance for a transit visit. the island nation in view of the severe
“The Government of Maldives, economic and political crisis, Daily
at the official request of the Govern- Mirror reported citing Army media.
ment of Sri Lanka, granted diplo- On July 9, demonstrators forc-
matic clearance for a Sri Lanka Air ibly entered the office of the Presi-
Force aircraft carrying His Excellen- dent and the Prime Minister and his
cy Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President of residence, and a fierce face-off be-
Sri Lanka and spouse, on a transit tween protesters and security forces
visit, to land at the Velana Interna- was reported in Colombo.
tional Airport on 13 July 2022. Pres- The country is facing a severe
ident Rajapaksa left to Singapore on shortage of fuel and other essential
14 July 2022,” the Maldives Ministry supplies and is in the throes of its
of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. worst-ever economic crisis with soar-
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Ra- ing inflation. The oil supply shortage
japaksa fled the island nation with his Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe takes oath as acting President after has forced schools and government
spouse and two bodyguards on July offices to close until further notice.
13 driven out after an economic col- Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena accepted the resignation sent by President Reduced domestic agricultural
lapse unleashed a massive uprising in Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in Colombo on Friday (ANI Photo) production, a lack of foreign exchange
the country, subsequently appointed reserves, and local currency depre-
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe Rajapaksa who flew from the expected to be in Singapore only in ciation have fuelled the shortages.
as the interim President of Sri Lanka. Maldives arrived in Singapore on transit and is expected to fly into the The economic crisis will push
It is pertinent to mention that board a Saudia Airlines flight on Middle East later in the day, report- many families into hunger and poverty
73-year-old Gotabaya had gone into Thursday evening, media reports ed Daily Mirror. - some for the first time - adding to the
hiding after crowds of protesters said. The flight touched down at Sin- According to earlier reports, Ra- half a million people who the World
stormed his residence on July 9 due gapore Changi airport at 7.17 pm japaksa and his wife were expected to Bank estimates have fallen below the
to economic turbulence in Sri Lanka. (local time). Rajapaksa is however stay in Singapore and not travel fur- poverty line because of the pandemic.

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