Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency yesterday after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country and thousands took to the streets in angry demonstrations against his failure to step down.
Over the weekend, Rajapaksa vowed to step down on Wednesday and pave the way for a “peaceful transfer of power” after he left his official residence in Colombo before thousands of protesters stormed the presidential compound.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has been named acting president after Rajapaksa fled the country, Parliament Speaker Mahidna Abiwardana said.
“Due to his absence from the country, President Rajapaksa informed me that he has appointed the prime minister as acting president, as provided by the constitution,” Abivardana said in a short televised speech.
Rajapaksa enjoys immunity from arrest and is believed to have wanted to leave the country before resigning to avoid arrest.
Immigration officials told AFP that Rajapaksa left the country on Wednesday morning on an Antonov An-32 military plane, which brought him along with three other people, including his wife and a bodyguard.
Hours later, with no official announcement of the president’s resignation, demonstrators gathered in front of the prime minister’s headquarters, which is constitutionally mandated to take office by proxy if the president resigns, to demand the prime minister’s resignation. two men.
Demonstrators chanted “Ranil, go Gotha” before storming the prime minister’s office to protest his appointment as acting president.
