Colombo (TIP): Sri Lankan President GotabayaRajapaksa has resigned, Parliament Speaker MahindaYapaAbeywardena officially announced on July 15, after a week of dramatic developments and massive protests against the government for “mishandling the economy” that bankrupted the country. The 73-year-old leader on July 14 emailed his resignation letter to the Speaker soon after he was allowed by Singapore to enter the city-state on a “private visit”.

On July 15 morning, Speaker Abeywardena formally announced that President Rajapaksa had resigned. In a brief press statement, the Speaker said Prime Minister RanilWickremesinghe would act as President until a new leader is elected. He urged public to allow peaceful environment for all lawmakers to take part in the process which should finish within seven days. The Sri Lankan Parliament will meet on Saturday.

The Speaker had received the resignation letter from Rajapaksa through the Sri Lanka High Commission in Singapore on Thursday night. However, he wanted to make the official announcement after the verification process and legal formalities, his media secretary IndunilAbeywardena had said. On Saturday, Rajapaksa had announced to step down on July 13 after thousands of protesters stormed his official residence, blaming him for the unprecedented economic crisis that has brought the country to its knees. He, however, fled to the Maldives without resigning from his office. From Maldives, he went to Singapore on Thursday. A spokesperson for Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Rajapaksa had been “allowed entry into Singapore on a private visit”. He had not asked for asylum and neither had he been granted any asylum, the spokesperson said, adding that Singapore generally does not grant requests for asylum. Rajapaksa was the first person with the army background to be elected as Sri Lanka’s President in 2019. (PTI)