Gotabaya Rajapaksa has submitted his resignation via e-mail from Singapore, the parliamentary speaker’s office said Thursday.
Sri Lanka’s embattled leader left the Maldives on Thursday after fleeing his own country amid an economic collapse and political crisis. Rajapaksa was allowed to enter Singapore on a private visit, that country’s foreign ministry said. Follow France 24’s live blog for all the latest developments.
Sri lanka’s president submitted his resignation Thursday shortly after reaching Singapore, the parliamentary speaker’s office said, days after the head of state fled protests triggered by his country’s worst-ever economic crisis.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned by email, the speaker’s spokesman said hours after he landed in the city-state.
“The authenticity and the legality of the e-mail will have to be checked out” before being formally accepted, Indunil Yapa told AFP, adding a formal announcement was expected on Friday.
Rajapaksa would be the first president to resign since Sri Lanka adopted a presidential system of government in 1978.
As president, Rajapaksa enjoyed immunity from arrest, and he is believed to have wanted to go abroad before stepping down to avoid the possibility of being detained.
Under Sri Lanka’s constitution, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe – whose resignation is also being demanded by protesters – would automatically become acting president until parliament can appoint a successor.(curtesy France24)