Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigns after fleeiing to Singapore

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has tendered his resignation in a letter sent by email to parliamentary speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardenena. The speaker's office confirmed Mr. Abeywardenena has received an email with Mr. Rajapaksa's resignation. The speaker of parliament said he would complete legal processes and announce it officially today.

Mr.Rajapaksa landed in Singapore on a flight from Maldives earlier after fleeing his country in the wake of anti-government protests. Reports say he is accompanied by his wife and two bodyguards.

The Singapore Government said Mr. Rajapaska has been allowed to enter the country on a private visit but has not asked for or been granted asylum.

Earlier, Mr Rajapaksa went into hiding after demonstrators stormed



his home on 9th of this month. Mr Rajapaksa and his wife later fled to the Maldives. Before leaving Colombo, he had assured leaders that he would send in his resignation. Soon after, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed as Sri Lanka's interim President. Mr Wickremesinghe directed the military to do whatever is necessary to restore order after protesters stormed his office. People have been staging nationwide protests demanding the resignation of both Mr. Rajapaksa and Mr. Wickramasinghe.

Yesterday, Mr.Wickremesinghe granted Sri Lanka's armed forces special powers of arrest, and instructed them to exercise force if necessary to dispel protests across the nation, army spokesman Brigadier Nilantha Premaratne said in a televised address.