Colombo:Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s wife fled the country. Rajapaksa is currently in Male, the capital of the Maldives. Leaving Sri Lanka in the middle of an economic crisis, political instability and violence, he arrived in the Maldivian capital, Male, on Wednesday morning. Sri Lankan immigration officials have confirmed that four people, including Gotabaya Rajapaksa, his wife and a bodyguard, have left for the Maldives on an Antonov-32 military plane. The military plane took off from the main international airport.
It is noteworthy that the hungry and thirsty people of Sri Lanka are on the streets. Protesters have occupied the presidential palace and the prime minister’s residence. In the midst of this crisis, members of the family of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa are trying hard to escape from the country. Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s younger brother, former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa’s family, was on July 12 trying to flee the country from the Silk Route Departure Terminal at Katunayake Airport. Meanwhile, immigration officials stopped them. That’s why he couldn’t run.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday promised to resign from the presidency. He had said that he was ready to transfer power peacefully. Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abhaywardene has said in the past that the President informed him that he would resign on July 13. Gotabaya also signed his resignation on Monday. It is believed that his resignation has reached the speaker. On Wednesday, the Speaker can formally announce the resignation of the President. The Prime Minister’s Office has said it will elect a new President of Parliament on July 20. Sri Lanka’s main opposition party, Samagi Jana Balvegaya, on Monday unanimously decided to nominate Sajith Premadasa as the interim President.