AFP reported Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa Gotabaya Rajapaksa left his residence on the eve of its capture by protesters, since then his whereabouts have been unknown. According to AFP, the president flew to the Maldives with his wife and bodyguard on a military aircraft .jpg” alt=”AFP announces president has left Sri Lanka” />
Sri Lankan President Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa has left the country, AFP reported, citing local officials. The BBC also writes about this.
Immigration representatives told AFP that Rajapaksa, along with his wife and bodyguards, were among the passengers of the An-32 military aircraft, which flew out of the country on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday in the direction of the Maldives.
The Hindu, citing a senior official at the US embassy in Colombo, previously wrote that Rajapaksa tried to get an American visa but was denied it. Parliament speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena claimed that the president was in a “neighboring country”, but later denied this information, saying that he was mistaken.
On the morning of July 9, protesters seized the presidential residence, however, he was taken from there in advance to a safe place, Reuters reported. Its location has since been unknown. Also in safe haven was Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe, whose private house was set on fire that evening. The Kollupitiya Provincial Police arrested three people in connection with the arson, and the case was later transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department.
After riots and the capture of the residence, Rajapaksa agreed to leave the post. Abeywardena said that the head of state will resign on July 13. If Rajapaksa leaves, the speaker of parliament will become the interim president of the country. Wickramasinghe also agreed to step down as premier after the formation of a new all-party government. A number of ministers have also announced their resignations. The protesters who seized the presidential residence said they would not leave the mansion until the resignation of Rajapaksa, Wikramasinghe and the government.
Riots on July 9 were the culmination of protests in Sri Lanka that began in the spring against the backdrop of the economic crisis in the country. In April, the authorities announced a default on foreign debt due to problems with importing essential goods due to a lack of foreign exchange. The Ministry of Finance said that the financial situation in the country was worsened by the pandemic and events in Ukraine. According to Ali Sabri, the head of the department, to resolve the crisis, the country needs financial assistance in the amount of $3 billion from outside.
Read on RBC Pro Pro New requirements for companies' cybersecurity in Russia. How to fulfill them Instructions Pro The chief will be chosen from their own: features of work in Asian IT companies Articles Pro Head of Uvenco Belotserkovsky: why children do not belong in the business of parents Step by Step Instructions Pro The US market is falling. It's time to “buy the bottom” or it's ahead – expert opinions Pro forecasts How to bargain with the Chinese – the secrets of negotiations The Print wrote about at least 45 victims of the July 9 riots, among them— seven members of the security forces. Most were injured in clashes between protesters and the police, during which the security forces used water cannons and tear gas, the newspaper specified.
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