He previously has obtained medical services there, including undergoing heart surgery. It said he had not requested asylum, and it was unclear if he would stay or move on. On Thursday, he went to Singapore, according to the city-state’s Foreign Ministry. Rajapaksa and his wife slipped away in the night aboard a military plane early Wednesday. But obviously this is just a beginning,” Raheem said, citing work to rebuild the economy and restore public confidence in the political system. “This is really something amazing, the fact that it happened on the back of largely peaceful protest. Protester Mirak Raheem noted that the lack of violence was important, though their work was far from over. The demonstrators initially vowed to stay until a new government was in place, but they shifted tactics Thursday, apparently concerned that an escalation in violence could undermine their message following clashes outside Parliament that left dozens injured. Images of protesters inside the buildings - lounging on elegant sofas and beds, posing at officials’ desks and touring the opulent settings - captured the world’s attention. Months of protests reached a frenzied peak last weekend when demonstrators stormed the president’s home and office and Wickremesinghe’s official residence. Maduka Iroshan, 26, a university student and protester, said he was “thrilled” that Rajapaksa had quit, because he “ruined the dreams of the young generation.” The family has denied the corruption allegations, but Rajapaksa acknowledged that some of his policies contributed to Sri Lanka’s meltdown. The protesters accuse Rajapaksa and his powerful political family of siphoning money from government coffers and of hastening the country’s collapse by mismanaging the economy. Sri Lanka is seeking help from the International Monetary Fund and other creditors, but its finances are so poor that even obtaining a bailout has proven difficult, Wickremesinghe recently said. ![]() In a televised statement, Wickremesinghe said he would initiate steps to change the constitution to curb presidential powers and strengthen Parliament, restore law and order and take legal action against “insurgents.”Ībeywardana, the speaker of Parliament, urged the public to “create a peaceful atmosphere in order to implement the proper parliamentary democratic process and enable all members of Parliament to participate in the meetings and function freely and conscientiously.” After Rajapaksa resigned, pressure on the prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, was rising. The new president could appoint a new prime minister, who would then have to be approved by Parliament. ![]() Lawmakers were to convene Saturday to begin choosing a new leader who would serve the remainder of Rajapaksa’s term, which ends in 2024.Ī tenuous calm returned to the capital of Colombo on Thursday after protesters who had occupied government buildings retreated, but with the political opposition deeply fractured, a solution to Sri Lanka’s many problems seemed no closer.Īs people celebrated in the streets, Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana promised a swift and transparent political process that should be done within a week. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - Sri Lanka’s prime minister was sworn in Friday as interim president until Parliament elects a successor to Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled abroad and resigned after mass protests over the country’s economic collapse.
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