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by Amal JAYASINGHE
Agence France-Presse
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Sri Lanka’s embattled president flew out of his nation to the Maldives early Wednesday, in a probable prelude to his resignation after months of widespread protests in opposition to his island nation’s worst-ever financial disaster.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa had promised on the weekend to resign on Wednesday and clear the best way for a “peaceable transition of energy” after fleeing his official residence in Colombo simply earlier than tens of 1000’s of protesters overran it.
As president, Rajapaksa enjoys immunity from arrest, and he’s believed to have wished to go overseas earlier than stepping right down to keep away from the potential of being detained.
He, his spouse and two bodyguards had been the 4 passengers on board an Antonov-32 navy plane that took off from Sri Lanka’s major worldwide airport, immigration sources advised AFP.
On arrival within the Maldives, they had been pushed to an undisclosed location below police escort, an airport official within the capital Male mentioned.
Smiling Sri Lankans once more thronged the corridors of the president’s official residence after his departure on Wednesday, with younger {couples} strolling round hand in hand in a temper of quiet celebration.
“Individuals are very comfortable, as a result of these individuals robbed our nation,” mentioned retired civil servant Kingsley Samarakoon, 74. “They’ve stolen an excessive amount of cash, billions and billions.”
However he held little hope for a right away enchancment in Sri Lanka’s plight. “How are individuals going to run the nation with out cash?” he requested. “It’s an issue.”
– A sophisticated exit —
The departure of the 73-year-old chief as soon as referred to as “The Terminator” had been stymied for greater than 24 hours in a humiliating stand-off with immigration personnel in Colombo.
He had wished to fly to Dubai on a industrial flight, however employees at Bandaranaike Worldwide withdrew from VIP companies and insisted that each one passengers needed to undergo public counters.
The presidential get together was reluctant to undergo common channels, fearing public reactions, a safety official mentioned, and because of this, missed 4 flights on Monday that might have taken them to the United Arab Emirates.
Clearance for a navy flight to land in close by India was not instantly secured, a safety official mentioned, and at one level on Tuesday the group headed to a naval base with a view to fleeing by sea.
Rajapaksa’s youngest brother Basil, who resigned in April as finance minister, missed his personal Emirates flight to Dubai early Tuesday after a tense standoff of his personal with airport employees.
Basil — who holds US citizenship along with Sri Lankan — tried to make use of a paid concierge service for enterprise vacationers, however airport and immigration employees mentioned that they had withdrawn from the fast-track service.
– Unity authorities –
Basil needed to receive a brand new US passport after leaving his behind on the presidential palace when the Rajapaksas beat a hasty retreat to keep away from mobs on Saturday, a diplomatic supply mentioned.
Official sources mentioned a suitcase stuffed with paperwork had additionally been left behind on the stately mansion together with 17.85 million rupees (about $50,000) in money, now within the custody of a Colombo court docket.
The prime minister’s workplace confirmed Wednesday that Rajapaksa had left the nation, however mentioned it had no schedule for any resignation announcement.
Rajapaksa is accused of mismanaging the financial system to some extent the place the nation has run out of international change to finance even essentially the most important imports, resulting in extreme hardships for its 22 million individuals.
If he steps down as promised, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will mechanically change into performing president till parliament elects an MP to serve out the presidential time period, which ends in November 2024.
However Wickremesinghe has himself introduced his willingness to step down if consensus is reached on forming a unity authorities.
The succession course of might take between three days — the minimal time taken to convene parliament — and a most of 30 days allowed below the statute. If Rajapaksa does step down Wednesday, the vote would happen on July 20, the parliamentary speaker has mentioned.
The chief of the principle opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya get together, Sajith Premadasa, who misplaced the 2019 presidential election to Rajapaksa, has mentioned he’ll stand for the place.
Premadasa is the son of former president Ranasinghe Premadasa, who was assassinated in a Tamil insurgent suicide bombing in Could 1993.
Sri Lanka defaulted on its $51-billion international debt in April and is in talks with the IMF for a doable bailout.
The island has almost exhausted its already scarce provides of petrol. The federal government has ordered the closure of non-essential places of work and faculties to cut back commuting and save gasoline.
© Agence France-Presse
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