Sri Lanka: the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been accepted
Steph Deschamps / July 15, 2022
The resignation of Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been accepted, the speaker of parliament announced Friday, after the head of state fled abroad after his residence was invaded by protesters last week.
Sri Lanka's parliamentary speaker announced Friday that he had accepted the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a day after he fled into exile after protesters invaded his residence and ended the occupation of government buildings in the capital Colombo.
Gotabaya has legally resigned, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana told reporters the day after the resignation letter was sent by email.
Mr. Rajapaksa fled his residence on Saturday after protesters stormed it, blaming him for mismanagement at a time when Sri Lanka is going through the worst economic crisis in its history.
He managed to get out of his country on Wednesday to go to the Maldives, where he flew to Singapore on Thursday, from where he sent his resignation letter.
He is the first head of state to resign since Sri Lanka switched to a presidential system in 1978.