Page 4 - Rajapaksa

Sri Lanka: President Rajapaksa will resign today as promised, says Speaker

Sri Lanka's Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Wednesday said President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has informed him over telephone that he will resign today as promised. Rajapaksa, 73, fled to the Maldives in the morning before he was due to officially resign after months of protests against his government's economic mismanagement that has led to severe shortages of food, fuel and other essentials in the country. Speaker Abeywardena said President Rajapaksa has telephoned him to confirm that he would be sending his resignation today as pledged. He said the vote for the new president will take place on July 20 and urged citizens to remain calm. On Saturday, Rajapaksa had announced to step down on Wednesday after thousands of protesters stormed his official residence, blaming him for the unprecedented economic crisis that has brought the country to its knees. Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven ...

A brief history of the rise and fall of Sri Lanka's president Rajapaksa

Before he fled Sri Lanka on Wednesday amid a crushing economic crisis, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was the last of six members of the country's most influential family still clinging to power

Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed as acting President: Speaker

Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced that President Rajapaksa has appointed Prime Minister Wickremesinghe to act to perform his functions while he is abroad

Try, try, and fly away: How Gotabaya Rajapaksa escaped from Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa managed to flee Sri Lanka in the early hours of July 13 and soon the government announced the imposition of an emergency in the island nation

Maldivian Parliament Speaker negotiated Lankan President's escape: Report

The Maldivian government's argument is that Rajapaksa is still the President of Sri Lanka, and that he hasn't resigned or handed over his powers to a successor

Sri Lanka declares state of emergency after Prez Rajapaksa flees: PM office

Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives on a military jet in face of a public revolt against his government for mishandling country's economy

Have not yet received President's resignation: Lankan parliament speaker

Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said has not the resignation letter of the embattled President who departed from Sri Lanka hours before he was expected to resign

Baseless and speculative: India on helping Lankan Prez flee to Maldives

The 73-year-old Sri Lankan President fled the country along with his wife and two security officers on a military jet on Wednesday

Basil Rajapaksa tries to flee Sri Lanka, stopped from boarding flight

Sri Lanka's former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa, who is the youngest brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was stopped from boarding a flight to Dubai on Monday evening, local media reported

Sri Lanka's fallen Rajapaksa dynasty is already planning its next comeback

In a recent interview at the ruling party's office in Colombo, which was vandalized by a mob during the May 9 violence, Namal said that Gotabaya "should complete his term and then go"

Sri Lankan President meets country's defence chiefs amid political unrest

Amid the political and economic unrest in Sri Lanka, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa met with the tri-force commanders and the Chief of Defence staff, local media reported.Rajapaksa who was aboard a tri-force naval vessel within the territorial waters of Sri Lanka following the July 9 protest, returned back to land on Monday and met the tri-force commanders and Chief of Defense staff in the morning, reported Daily Mirror.Sri Lankan protesters broke into Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private residence on Saturday and set it on fire, angered by the unprecedented economic crisis. The protestors also took control of the President's house and turned it into a tourist hub.Earlier, on Saturday, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced in a press conference that President Rajapaksa will resign from his post on July 13. Several journalists were also attacked by the security forces after which more protestors gathered in the area.Prime Minister Wickremesinghe also announced to step down .

Sri Lanka's Parliament to elect a new President on July 20, says Speaker

Sri Lanka, which is completely bankrupt and embroiled in a political crisis virtually with no leader, had decided to elect a new President from the Parliament on July 20.

President Rajapaksa has not left Sri Lanka, clarifies Speaker's office

Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is still in the country, Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena's office said, dismissing media reports that the embattled leader may have fled SL

Sri Lankan Parliament to elect new President next week, says Speaker

The Sri Lankan Parliament will elect the new president to succeed Gotabaya Rajapaksa on July 20, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced on Monday. The decision was taken during a crucial all-party leaders meeting held earlier in the day. President Rajapaksa is yet to resign formally, however, he informed the Speaker on Saturday that he will quit on July 13. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also said that he will step down after a new government is formed. After receiving Rajapaksa's resignation on Wednesday, Parliament will convene on July 15 to announce the vacancy and will reconvene on July 19 to accept the nominations for the post, Speaker Abeywardena said. A parliamentary ballot will be held on July 20 to elect the new president, he said. Rajapaksa agreed to bow down to the party leaders' request to resign following the popular uprising on Saturday. Under the Sri Lankan Constitution, if both the president and prime minister resign, the Speaker will serve as acting pres

Will resign on July 13: Sri Lankan President officially informs PM

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe also said he was willing to resign and make way for an all-party government to take over

People power brought down the Rajapaksas in Sri Lanka. But what's next?

If there's one thing these protesters have shown, it is that the Rajapaksas can be defeated

'Missing' Gotabaya orders supply of LPG; protesters refuse to budge

Agitators find LKR 17.8 mn in cash at Prez House

Sri Lanka Opposition parties agree to form all-party interim govt

Opposition parties held talks to seek ways to steer the country forward in the current unprecedented economic crisis after Rajapaksa's resignation

India gave unprecedented support of $3.8 bn this year to Sri Lanka: MEA

India stands with people of Sri Lanka as they seek to realise aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means, values, says Ministry of External Affairs

Sri Lanka's Oppn parties to meet to discuss formation of new all-party govt

Sri Lanka's main Opposition parties are holding a special party meeting on Sunday to discuss the formation of a new all-party government, amid the unprecedented political turmoil