President of Sri Lanka Rajapaksa signs his resignation

The Speaker of Parliament will officially announce the resignation of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa after he has signed his letter of resignation. The resignation was written and given to a senior government official, who will give it to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, according to reports in Sri Lankan newspapers. Just before tens of thousands of demonstrators stormed the President’s House, Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled.

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KEY POINTS:

• Following months of demonstrations against an economic crisis, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa travelled to the Maldives, prompting Sri Lanka to proclaim a state of emergency as large-scale riots swamped Colombo.
• Gotabaya Rajapaksa has nominated Prime Minister Wickremesinghe to serve as the interim president while he is away, according to the announcement made by Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.
• Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled his official residence in Colombo shortly before tens of thousands of protestors overran it, had pledged over the weekend to step down and pave the way for a peaceful transfer of power.
• Rajapaksa is thought to have intended to leave Sri Lanka before resigning in order to avoid the risk of being arrested because he is president and is therefore immune from arrest.