E-Paper
Sri Lanka crisis: What is Gota's final destination?
Gotabaya Rajapaksa reached Singapore from Maldives on Thursday, and is expected to to look to stay in the city-state for some time.
New Delhi: Sri Lanka’s president submitted his resignation shortly after reaching Singapore on Thursday, the parliamentary speaker’s office said, days after the head of state fled protests triggered by his country’s worst-ever economic crisis.
Rajapaksa fled Sri Lanka on Wednesday, after protesters overran his palace on the weekend, heading first to the Maldives and then Singapore.
Also Read: Gotabaya Rajapaksa lands in Singapore; govt says Lanka prez not granted asylum
The emailed resignation would be examined before a formal announcement - expected on Friday - is made, the speaker’s spokesman Indunil Yapa said.
But what’s next for the now president? There were several reports yesterday that claimed Singapore was a transit point and Gotabaya intended to fly from there to Saudi Arabia. Later, reports claimed Singapore was his final destination.
But confusion still prevails over his final destination. Rajapaksa, his wife Ioma and their two bodyguards arrived in Singapore from Male on board a Saudia airline flight.
As president, Rajapaksa enjoyed immunity from arrest, and he is understood to have wanted to go abroad before stepping down to avoid the possibility of being detained.
The former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed is believed to have played a behind-the-scenes role in getting him out of the country, and said Rajapaksa feared he would be killed if he remained.
Singapore’s foreign ministry confirmed Rajapaksa had been allowed to enter the city-state for a “private visit”, adding: “He has not asked for asylum and neither has he been granted any asylum.”
Also Read: Sri Lanka crisis timeline | From 'emergency' in April to Rajapaksa's resignation
He is expected to look to stay in Singapore for some time, according to Sri Lankan security sources, before potentially moving to the United Arab Emirates.
Diplomatic sources said Rajapaksa’s attempts to secure a visa to the US had been turned down because he had renounced his US citizenship in 2019 before running for president.
