President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was forced out of office by waves of public protests, sent in his registration letter from Singapore yesterday bringing to an end nearly three years of rudderless and chaotic rule.

The President, who fled the country on Wednesday, emailed his resignation letter via the Sri Lanka High Commission in Singapore last night to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. Rajapaksa did so after arriving in Singapore via a Saudi Air flight from the Maldives where he spent a day after being flown in by an Air Force military plane in the early hours of Wednesday.

Rajapaksa was allowed to enter Singapore on the basis of a private visit and has not been granted asylum, the city-State said, after the leader arrived from the Maldives.

“It is confirmed that Rajapaksa has been allowed entry into Singapore on a private visit,” Singapore’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “He has not asked for asylum and neither has he been granted any asylum. Singapore generally does not grant requests for asylum.” There was speculation that Rajapaksa is planning to travel to another country from Singapore.

Speaker Abeywardena said last night he will formally announce that Rajapaksa has vacated the post of President to the public today in keeping with the relevant constitutional provisions after verifying the authenticity of the letter. The Attorney General (AG) was consulted last night by the Speaker’s office in this connection,” the Daily FT learns. Originally Rajapaksa said he will tender his resignation on Wednesday 13 July.

The President was forced out of office just two years and eight months into his five-year term, making him the first President to resign from his post. It is a humiliating exit for a man who was elected by a landslide in the Presidential poll held in November 2019 on the back of the promise of efficient and clean administration.

The office of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is the Acting President, could not confirm if he will take oath today as interim President pending the vote in Parliament to select a successor to Rajapaksa.

A spokesperson for the office said they are waiting to get confirmation regarding the resignation letter.

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) announced yesterday that it will not field a candidate to contest for the Presidency when the Parliament meets to elect a new President.

The party said that it was bowing to the public demand for a change in a SLPP-led administration and has hence taken this decision.

Party leaders had earlier agreed to hold the election to elect a new President for 20 July but this may be delayed as an earlier decision for Parliament to meet today has been postponed. The House will now meet on Tuesday as scheduled when the Speaker will inform the House that a vacancy has occurred in the post of President and fix a date to call for nomination.

In a related development representatives of several parties including the SJB, SLFP, the independent group within the SLPP, TNA that met yesterday decided to inform the Speaker that they will nominate Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa for the post of Prime Minister of the all-party Government that is being mooted to overcome the economic crises facing the country. The JVP did not attend the meeting.

Source: Daily FT

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland QC, has called on political leaders in Sri Lanka to safeguard democratic governance, the rule of law and human rights, in adherence with the values and principles of the Commonwealth Charter.

The Secretary-General also reiterated the Commonwealth Secretariat’s commitment to support Sri Lanka in protecting and strengthening its institutions and constitutional governance and facilitating economic stability. She called on all in Sri Lanka to exercise restraint with a view to a peaceful transition.

Speaking on the situation, the Secretary-General Patricia Scotland QC said the Commonwealth is a community that is underpinned by shared values and Sri Lanka, as one of the oldest democracies in Asia and a founding member of the modern Commonwealth, has always shown its strong commitment to these tenets, which are cherished and trusted by its people.

“I call on all those in positions of leadership to safeguard democratic principles, the rule of law and human rights.”

The Secretary-General has been in contact with the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and other leaders of Sri Lanka.

In her statement on the situation, the Secretary-General also said it is important that the concerns of the people of Sri Lanka on governance and other issues are addressed.

The Commonwealth Chief urged continued dialogue to this end and called on the international community to continue to assist Sri Lanka in this hour of economic need.

“I am hopeful that these challenges will be met according to the letter and spirit of the Constitution of Sri Lanka and the values enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter. The Commonwealth Secretariat stands ready to assist Sri Lanka in ensuring constitutional principles, and the values of the Commonwealth Charter, are upheld.”

Source: ColomboPage

The United Kingdom, Singapore, and Bahrain have asked their citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Sri Lanka as an economic collapse in the country has led to massive protests.

The island nation is experiencing a severe economic crisis which has led to shortages of basic necessities including medicines, cooking gas, fuel and food.

Source: News 1st

Protesters vacated Temple Trees and the Prime Minister’s Office today.

The protesters said that they handed back the buildings to the public.

The Galle Face protesters had decided to hand over the President’s House, President’s Office, and Prime Minister’s Office back to the authorities.

The decision was announced by the protesters today.

Thousands stormed the Presidents House on 9th July and occupied the premises since then.

Protesters also stormed the Presidential Secretariat and Temple Trees on the same day.

Yesterday protesters stormed the Prime Minister’s House at Flower Road.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka had appealed to the protesters to return the buildings to the State.

Curfew has been imposed in the Colombo administrative district with effect from 12 noon today until 5.00 a.m. tomorrow (15), the Government Information Department announced.

Acting President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe has imposed the curfew under the provisions of the Public Security Ordinance, it said.

The curfew order directs that no person shall be on any public road, railway, public park, public recreation ground or other public ground or the seashore in such areas, during that period except under the authority of a written permit granted by Secretary to Ministry of Defence or Secretary to Ministry of Public Security or Inspector-General of Police or any officer authorized by them.

An island-wide curfew imposed from 12 noon yesterday was lifted at 5.00 a.m. today (14). Prior to that, the Acting President had ordered to impose a curfew in the Western Province and a state of emergency island-wide.

He had also ordered the security forces to arrest those engaging in unruly behaviour and to take into custody the vehicles they travel in.

The move came as thousands of angry protesters gathered outside the PM’s office, and several other locations in Colombo. Protesters had later stormed and occupied the prime minister’s office.

Source: Adaderana