President Gotabaya Rajapaksa left the country early yesterday morning (13) and landed on Maldives and wished to leave for the State of Dubai, but the Dubai authorities had rejected the Sri Lankan President’s request due to the risk of protests arising from a large number of Sri Lankans living in the UAE emirate.

Upon being denied, Rajapaksa had wished to leave for Singapore, but a considerable time had passed to negotiate to obtain the necessary approval.

Should a person be denied at entry to a certain state by the Immigration and Emigration Department, he or she is deported to the country of citizenship, according to immigration laws. Had Gotabaya Rajapaksa faced the same situation upon any decision to resign from the presidency, he could have been forced to return to Sri Lanka as an ordinary citizen. But he would be able to return to his homeland with immunity and privileges enjoyed as a Head of State, had he not resigned from the post.

It is in this legal and technical backdrop was Rajapaksa’s resignation deliberately delayed, according to sources.

Accordingly, Gotabaya Rajapaksa is believed to be announcing his resignation upon stability in the country Singapore.

MIAP

Ranil Wickremesinghe will be sworn in as the acting President this (14) afternoon, sources said.

Wickremesinghe’s swearing in was supposed to be taken place yesterday, but the matter was postponed due to the prevailing circumstances.

The swearing can be taken place before any Supreme Court justice.

MIAP

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who was in Maldives since yesterday has left for Singapore on a special Saudi flight a short while ago, sources said.

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The galleface protesters have decided to leave the government buildings acquired by them after 97 days of continuous demonstrations against the President and the corrupt regime, stating that the move will be made in order to protect public order.

Accordingly, the President’s House, the Presidential Secretariat, the Prime Minister’s Office and Temple Trees will be handed over to the authorities, revealed Fr. Jeevantha Peiris calling in a briefing today (14) on behalf of the protesters.

Fr. Peiris noted that the President of Sri Lanka is so devastated today that he has received the appropriate punishment for the unjust he has done to the people of Sri Lanka, adding that their second demand would be the stepping down of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

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Curfew will be imposed to the Colombo District from 12 pm noon today (14), Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe concluded.

The curfew will stand in effect till 5 am tomorrow.

A gazette has also been issued in this regard.

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The Sri Lankan protesters who acquired the President’s House, the Presidential Secretariat, Temple Trees and the Prime Minister’s Office have handed them over to the authorities.

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A private jet has reportedly landed at the Male Airport in the capital of the Maldives and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his entourage are preparing to leave for Singapore on the same jet.

The Sri Lankan President and his entourage is currently staying in the capital city of Male.

Rajapaksa had arrived in Maldives with his wife and two bodyguards in a craft belonging to the Sri Lanka Air Force with the intention of leaving for another country and had asked the Maldivian authorities to provide a jet for his departure.

After landing on Singapore, Rajapaksa is hoping to send his letter of resignation to Speaker Abeywardena this afternoon, according to sources.

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‘Sri Lanka’s President can’t flee accountability’ – British parliamentarians call for Rajapaksa’s arrest and justice for genocide

As Colombo descends into crisis, British parliament held an urgent debate on the state of Sri Lanka with growing calls for a new pluralist constitution, the recognition of self-determination for Tamils, the ratification of the Rome Statute, the arrest of Gotabaya Rajapaksa and justice for the Tamil genocide.

Contributing to Parliament debate, Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, placed blame for the “horrible appalling situation for the people of Sri Lanka” on the “corruption of the Rajapakse government”. Noting that “their populist unfunded tax cuts their, skyrocketing defence expenditure, the draconian police powers and the cronyism corruption the like we’ve rarely ever seen”.

He called for an economic package with the IMF with the caveat that such support should include “ a political package which includes an international arrest warrant for President Rajapaksa and his cronies. Can it also include a demand for political freedom, the respect of rights and human rights of everyone on the island of Sri Lanka; including the Tamil and Muslim minorities.”

Meanwhile, Stephen Timms MP raised the issue of Sri Lanka’s non-compliance with the UNHRC resolution noted that the resolution was intended as “a mechanism for resolving the legacy of the issues we’ve heard about today”.

He further asked if aid for Sri Lanka should be conditional on compliance with the UNHRC resolution.

Source: Tamil Guardian