ADVERTISEMENT

Sri Lanka Latest: Rajapaksa Resigns After Months of Protests

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country on Wednesday leaving a power vacuum in his wake.

Tear gas is used to disperse anti-government demonstrators in Colombo, on July 13.
Tear gas is used to disperse anti-government demonstrators in Colombo, on July 13.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa sent his resignation to the parliament speaker soon after landing in Singapore on Thursday having fled months of anti-government protests, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Rajapaksa’s arrival at Changi Airport put to rest speculation on where the embattled politician would go after heading to the Maldives from Sri Lanka on a military plane Wednesday. 

The developments have left a power vacuum in the island nation. Demonstrators continue to push for new leadership and have stormed and occupied offices and residences of the president and prime minister.

Sri Lanka Latest: Rajapaksa Resigns After Months of Protests

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was made acting president and imposed a state of emergency, has said he formed a committee, including the police and military chiefs, to de-escalate the situation. He reiterated that parliament will choose a new president on July 20.

Key Developments:

  • Sri Lanka President Reaches Singapore After Fleeing Protests 
  • Sri Lanka President Flying to Singapore, Then Saudi: AP 
  • Plane Said to Carry Sri Lanka’s President Most-Tracked in World
  • In Sri Lanka, What Comes After People Power?: Ruth Pollard
  • How Sri Lanka Landed in a Crisis and What It Means: QuickTake
  • Rajapaksa’s Exit May Speed Sri Lanka’s Tilt From China

All times are local Sri Lankan time.

President’s Resignation to be Announced Friday (9:50 p.m.)

Sri Lanka’s speaker has received Rajapaksa’s resignation letter via the island nation’s embassy in Singapore, Sirasa TV broadcast, citing Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena’s media secretary.

After checking the authenticity and completing necessary legal matters, an official statement on the resignation will be made on Friday.

IMF Needs Sri Lanka Leaders in Office to Resume Aid Talks (9:30 p.m.)

The International Monetary Fund hopes to resume talks with Sri Lanka on lending support as soon as possible, but will need Colombo to have higher authorities in place for that to happen, spokesman Gerry Rice said. Sri Lanka’s debt is currently “unsustainable,” and assurances on sustainability would be required for the IMF board to approve any future program, he said. 

The country’s crisis emanates from an economy wrecked by a combination of mismanagement, a slump in tourism due to the pandemic, and a surge in import costs due to the war in Ukraine.

Rajapaksa Was Fearful for His Life, Maldives Speaker Says (7:36 p.m.)

Maldives Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed defended Rajapaksa’s decision to flee Sri Lanka and then resign, saying the leader was “fearful of losing his life.”

Rajapaksa Said to Resign After Reaching Singapore (7:30 p.m.)

Rajapaksa has sent his resignation via email to the parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena soon after he arrived in Singapore Thursday after fleeing months of anti-government protests, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Calls to Abeywardena went unanswered. 

Singapore Confirms Rajapaksa Lands in City-State (5:48 p.m.)

Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Rajapaksa was allowed entry on a private visit. 

“He has not asked for asylum and neither has he been granted any asylum. Singapore generally does not grant requests for asylum,” the ministry said in a statement.

Earlier, a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight from Maldives landed in Changi Airport and it’s believed to have carried Rajapaksa and a small entourage. 

Stocks Drop Slightly, Shrugging Off Chaos (2:30 p.m.)

Colombo All-Share Index dropped as much as 1.4%, but recouped more than half of the losses to close with a decline of 0.6%. The market was shut for trading on Wednesday for a local holiday and had climbed in the previous three sessions.

Opposition to Name a Consensus Candidate For PM (2:20 p.m.)

Opposition parties will discuss naming a consensus candidate for the post of prime minister, lawmaker Harsha de Silva said in a Twitter post. De Silva said the decision followed a request by Wickremesinghe, who is now acting president in addition to being the premier. 

The name of the proposed candidate will be handed over to the Parliament Speaker Friday, he added.

Plane Said to Carry Rajapaksa Most-Tracked in World (1:31 p.m.)

A Saudi Arabian Airlines flight from Maldives to Singapore believed to be carrying Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was the world’s most-tracked flight on Thursday, underscoring massive global interest in the troubled island nation’s political affairs. 

Saudia flight 788 from Male was being tracked by almost 5,000 users as of 7:43 a.m. GMT, according to data from Flightradar24.com, more than three times the number of people tracking a French Air Force plane flying in Europe.

Curfew Imposed in Colombo For Second Night (12:15 p.m.)

Wickremesinghe issued order for curfew to be imposed in the Colombo district from noon Thursday, until 5 a.m. local time on July 15. The acting president had clamped an overnight island-wide curfew Wednesday, that ended at 5 a.m., after his office was occupied by protesters and there were attempts to storm parliament.

UN’s Guterres Calls on Party Leaders to Compromise (07:11 a.m.)

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he is following Sri Lanka’s situation “very closely” and stresses the need to address protesters’ grievances. He called on party leaders to embrace “spirit of compromise” for a peaceful and democratic transition.

Rajapaksa Misses Wednesday Resignation Deadline (12:09 a.m.)

Sri Lanka’s Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena hasn’t announced Rajapaksa’s resignation, which means the leader missed a planned deadline to step down on Wednesday. 

Wickremesinghe Seeks Nomination of New Premier (8:30 p.m.)

Sri Lanka’s Acting President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe asked the parliament speaker to nominate a new premier “who is acceptable to both the government and opposition.”

Sticking to decision taken on July 11 that cabinet will relinquish duties once there’s an agreement to form an all-party government, Wickremesinghe’s media unit says in statement.

Protesters Break Outer Barricades Around Parliament (8:11 p.m.)

Hundreds of protestors have broken the first line of barricades set up outside parliament while forces are firing tear gas to disperse the crowds, Daily Mirror reported. Protests are swelling, calling for the ouster of President Rajapaksa -- who fled the country Wednesday -- and Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Tear gas is used to disperse anti-government demonstrators in Colombo, on July 13.Photographer: Buddhika Weerasinghe/Bloomberg
Tear gas is used to disperse anti-government demonstrators in Colombo, on July 13.Photographer: Buddhika Weerasinghe/Bloomberg

Main opposition Calls for Wickremesinghe Ouster (7:15 p.m.)

Following meeting of party leaders with speaker, where heads of security forces also participated, Sri Lanka’s main opposition reiterated demand for Wickremesinghe’s resignation as prime minister.

Will back speaker being appointed as acting president, chief opposition whip Lakshman Kiriella, of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya party, tells Sirasa TV. Wickremesinghe hadn’t participated.

Wickremesinghe: Parliament Will Choose New President July 20 (3.50 p.m.)

Parliament will choose a president on July 20, Wickremesinghe said in a televised address. “We cannot tear up the Constitution,” he said, adding that some elements aided by politicians were trying to achieve their personal goals by stoking unrest. He didn’t name anyone.

He defended the imposition of emergency rule, saying the decision was made because the government had intelligence reports about attempts to take over the PM’s office and air force chief’s house.

Wickremesinghe said he had formed a committee that includes the police and military chief to de-escalate the situation. He didn’t say how long the emergency would stay.

Protesters Take Over PM’s Office (3:15 p.m.)

Protesters took over the PM’s office. Photos and video on social media and in local reports showed protesters on the terraces and roof of the building in Colombo, waving the national flag. Wickremesinghe’s whereabouts are unknown since the weekend, when protesters stormed his official residence and set fire to his private home. His spokesman declined to comment.

Rajapaksa Expected to Tender Resignation (2:52 p.m.)

Rajapaksa will submit a formal resignation later Wednesday, a spokesman for the parliament speaker said over the phone. The speaker hasn’t yet received the resignation letter.

Protesters Seize Sri Lanka’s State Broadcaster (1:45 p.m.)

At about 1:02 p.m. in Colombo -- shortly after the protester-imposed deadline lapsed for Rajapaksa to submit his resignation -- state broadcaster Rupavahini telecast images of one of its anchors introducing two protesters before going off air for a brief period.

“We have not cast a stone at Rupavahini,” one of the protesters said. “We only ask that you join the people in our struggle rather than taking the side of the government in power. We thank the staff of Rupavahini for assisting us.”

There was no comment from the Information Ministry.

Military officer guards the state-run broadcasting radio Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation in Colombo, on July 13.Photographer: Buddhika Weerasinghe/Bloomberg
Military officer guards the state-run broadcasting radio Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation in Colombo, on July 13.Photographer: Buddhika Weerasinghe/Bloomberg

Speaker Says PM Wickremesinghe Is Acting President (1:26 p.m.)

Sri Lanka’s parliament speaker said Wickremesinge is acting president after Rajapaksa fled the bankrupt country. The speaker cited Article 37-1 of the constitution, which says: “If the president is of the opinion that by reason of illness, absence from Sri Lanka or any other cause he will be unable to perform and discharge the powers, duties and functions of the office, he may appoint the Prime Minister to exercise... functions of the office of President.”

Wickremesighe Imposes Nationwide Emergency (1:13 p.m.)

In his capacity as acting president, Wickremesinghe imposed a state of emergency across Sri Lanka hours after Rajapaksa fled the country. He also imposed curfew in the Western Province, which includes the capital Colombo, his spokesman Dinouk Colombage said by phone. 

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

©2022 Bloomberg L.P.