Former Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has disclosed in his book that influential foreign entities, in conjunction with certain local groups, orchestrated extensive protests and acts of sabotage aimed at ousting him from the presidency.
He claimed that these efforts were further bolstered by substantial financial backing.
The book by Rajapaksa, “The conspiracy to oust me from the Presidency”, is now available in Sri Lanka.
In the book, Gotabaya Rajapaksa acknowledges that he was well aware of the unwavering determination of dominant foreign forces and certain local factions to persist in their actions as long as he was in power.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa candidly reveals that he chose to step down from his position to put an end to the web of political conspiracies and acts of sabotage that were systematically undermining the well-being of the people.
Furthermore, Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa discloses that a significant foreign power strongly urged him not to resign.
Rajapaksa in his book said that this foreign entity had demonstrated through concrete actions its commitment to ensuring the supply of essential materials to Sri Lanka.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa noted that despite these events he decided to step down in order to provide relief to the people.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa revealed that certain influential nations present themselves as champions of democracy and the rule of law on the global stage. Meanwhile, in many developing countries, a network of paid activists purports to advocate for these principles. However, their true agenda often aligns more with advancing their own interests rather than safeguarding genuine democratic values.
Former President Rajapaksa unveiled several critical details in his book concerning the events that unfolded during his removal from office.
Among these incidents, the protest held on March 31, 2021, right outside his residence in Mirihana, stands out as a significant case.
According to the book, a significant number of individuals participated in a procession that reached Pangiriwatte Road around 8:00 PM.
Gotabaya said that notably, during this time, then-Army Commander Shavendra Silva, Defense Secretary Kamal Gunaratne, and all the Armed Forces Commanders were attending a wedding ceremony at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that he promptly informed both Shavendra and Kamal about the unfolding situation.
Therafter, Director of the State Intelligence Service, Suresh Salley, who was also present at the wedding ceremony, visited the Mirihana area.
Upon his arrival, approximately one hundred protesters were present, detailed Rajapaksa noting that despite the presence of the police special task force and army officers, no explicit instructions were issued regarding how to handle the crowd.
He said that Suresh Salley resorted to a video call with Shavendra Silva and Kamal Gunaratne, showing them the gathering. Regrettably, no directives to disperse the crowd were relayed from the senior ranks.
According to the former President, at approximately 10:30 AM on the following day, the Army Commander, Chief of Defense Staff, and Defense Secretary visited his residence.
He said that on 8 July 2022, he instructed Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne to shift the Operations Room from the Defence Force Headquarters to President’s House.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa said he took the precaution of getting all the defence chiefs to the President’s House because of the bad experience had at Temple Trees on the night of 9 May 2022 where there was an inordinate and unforgivable delay in the induction of troops to evacuate the Prime Minister.
He revealed that On the morning of 9 July 2022, the Defence Secretary, Commanders of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, the IGP and the Director of SIS were all present in the Operations Room that had been established at the President’s House.
The plan was to prevent the protesters from arriving in Colombo by blocking all the approach roads. But no such roadblocks had been established, and the crowds converged on the President’s House virtually unopposed.
The former President also pointed out that, ironically, while the protest was supposed to be over shortages of essential items, shipments of many of these items were due to reach Colombo either on 9 July 2022 itself or in the days following.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa noted that while some assert that he abandoned a sinking ship alone, it is essential to clarify that Sri Lanka was not in a state of decline when he resigned.
Regrettably, he says that he encountered a meticulously orchestrated foreign and domestic conspiracy aimed at removing him from power in March/April 2022—a critical juncture when the nation was gradually recovering from the pandemic.
In light of this situation, Rajapaksa had deemed it futile to sacrifice even a single life merely to prolong his tenure by two additional years.