Sri Lankan President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa announced his resignation on July 13. Rajapaksa had informed Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa in this regard. However, they have already fled the country.
Sri Lankan President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has reportedly fled the country amid a financial crisis. AFP reported this. The Rajapaksa has managed to flee Sri Lanka, and it is unclear which route he left the country. Gotbaya Rajapaksa had fled before the protesters took control of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Rajapaksa, his wife, and bodyguards are known to have flown in a fighter jet from the international airport. The Rajapaksa is claimed to be in the Maldives.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's brother Basil Rajapaksa had also tried to leave the country. However, they failed. He tried to flee from Katunayake Airport in Sri Lanka but failed. Airport staff refused to work as soon as they realized that the Rajapaksa would flee the country. As a result, Basil Rajapaksa's attempt failed. He claimed he would return to the country on July 13 to resign. However, the Speaker of the Parliament said President Rajapaksa had not left the country.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa was allegedly hiding in the private residence of Air Marshal Sudarshan Pathirana, chief of the Sri Lankan Air Force. Air Force spokesperson Dushan Vijesinghe has denied the allegations. According to The Daily Mirror, Vijesinghe has said that it is an attempt to tarnish the image of the Sri Lankan Air Force.
Air Marshal Sudarshan Pathirana denied the allegations made on social media. He had said that the news of giving shelter to Rajapaksa was false. He said there was an attempt to create confusion among the public about the Air Force.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced his resignation on July 13. However, it is learned that he signed his resignation on Monday. A senior official has been asked to resign. It is learned that senior officials will convey the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa to the Speaker of Parliament.
The Corona outbreak, the IMF loan, China's betrayal in the name of aid, and the slump in the tourism industry have hit Sri Lanka's economy hard.