Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country amid mass strikes amid an economic crisis. This is reported by the BBC,
KYIV. UkraineGate. 13. July . 2022 | World News .
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As reported, Rajapaksa arrived in the capital of the Maldives, Male, on a military plane late in the evening of July 12. His brother, former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa, also left the country. According to BBC sources, he is flying to the USA.
The president’s departure threatens a potential power “vacuum” in a country that needs a functioning government to start recovering from the financial collapse.
According to the Sri Lankan constitution, if the president resigns, the prime minister takes over.
However, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, is also in a very difficult position. Protesters set fire to his private residence on July 9. At the time, he announced that he would resign, but did not specify a date.
The next contender after the prime minister to perform the duties of the president of Sri Lanka is the speaker of the parliament, Mahinda Yap Abeywardena, who is an ally of Rajapaksa. It is not yet clear whether society will accept it.
Rajapaksa’s escape marked the end of a family dynasty that had ruled Sri Lanka for decades.
The acting president has 30 days to hold elections for a new president among members of parliament. The winner of the vote can finish out the remainder of Rajapaksa’s term until the end of 2024.
In particular, politicians from other parties have talked about forming a new unity government, but so far there are no signs that they are close to an agreement.
Hundreds of thousands of anti-government demonstrators stormed Rajapaksa’s official residence and the presidential secretariat on July 9, demanding his resignation. They also took control of the Tree Temple, the official residence of the Prime Minister.
Rajapaksa was elected with an unprecedented mandate of popular support. His two-year rule is considered the weakest since the island gained political independence in 1948.
Source: Ukrgate