The formalization of his resignation as president of Sri Lanka is delayed as the crisis deepens
July 14 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Sri Lankan president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, left the Maldives early on Thursday to go to Singapore, where he plans to seek asylum after fleeing Sri Lanka in the framework of the strong protests due to the serious economic crisis that the island is going through.
Rajapaksa is on board a plane from a Saudi airline that has taken off from the city of Colombo and is traveling with his wife and several of his bodyguards, according to information from the newspaper ‘Daily Mirror’.
Before boarding, he had to be escorted by special units of the Maldives Defense Force. His arrival in the Maldives had provoked criticism among the civilian population, which has expressed its support for the Sri Lankan people and has asked the politician to leave the country.
Rajapaksa still has to formalize his resignation before the President of Parliament after announcing that he would resign from the position, which is now held on an interim basis by the Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, in the midst of the worsening of the crisis.
The president of the chamber, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, has indicated that he has not received any resignation letter at the moment, although Rajapaksa was expected to deliver it on Wednesday afternoon.
The clashes recorded next to Parliament have resulted in 84 injuries, according to information from the Police collected by the Times Online news portal.
Medical sources have indicated to the aforementioned medium that a total of 79 of the injured are men and another five women. All are in the National Hospital in Colombo. In addition, among them there is a soldier, two policemen and two journalists.
The protests have so far resulted in a 26-year-old man dying after suffering respiratory problems due to inhaling tear gas launched by the security forces at the prime minister’s residence.
The protesters have taken an assault rifle after seizing it from a soldier who was deployed in the area. The country is in a state of emergency under curfew.
The US ambassador to the country, Julie Chung, has called for a “peaceful transfer of power” within the “constitutional and democratic framework.”
In a message on his Twitter account, he insisted that the population demands “justice, transparency and democratic governance, as well as a better future.” “The United States reiterates its call for calm at this time,” she said.
Thus, he has emphasized the importance of all parties “committing themselves to improving the nation and working to implement solutions that favor greater political and economic stability.” “We condemn all kinds of violence and ask that order be maintained,” she settled.
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