Sri Lanka: Gotabaya resigns, next President to be picked in a week

Given that Gotabaya Rajapaksa formally resigned from his position as president on Thursday, the months-long anti-government rallies in Sri Lanka’s humanitarian crisis appear to have temporarily stopped. Mahinda Yapa Abeywarden, the speaker of the house, accepted his resignation on Friday. When Gotabaya decided to formally retire on Thursday night, he was held accountable for his economic incompetence, and there were celebrations all around the nation. Within a week, Sri Lanka will likely elect a new president.

1. On Friday, Mahinda Yapa Abeywarden, the speaker of parliament, announced that he had accepted Gotabaya’s resignation as president and that parliament will meet to elect a new head of state.
2. Rajapaksa’s tenure, which ends in 2024, will be completed by the new president, who will be chosen in a week. According to a media story, the new leader might choose a new prime minister, who would then need the consent of parliament.
3. Ranil Wickremesinghe, the incumbent prime minister, Sajith Premadasa, the head of the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), and Dullas Alahapperuma, the leader of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) are the top three potential candidates for the presidency. Currently, the acting president is Ranil Wickremesinghe.
4. Arunanandan, a teacher who participated in the protests in Sri Lanka, claimed that the demonstrators actually had the real power in the country. Arunanandan told the news agency, “We are really pleased that he resigned today and we feel that when we, the people, get together, we can do everything.”
5. In Sri Lanka, protesters have left government buildings, temporarily restoring calm to Colombo, the country’s capital.
6. Gotabaya Rajapaksa was accused of mismanaging Sri Lanka’s economy, and his cabinet maintained power despite a chronic scarcity of food, fuel, and other necessities.
7. Mahinda Rajapaksa, his brother, resigned from his position as prime minister in May.
8. People have been waiting days in line at gas stations for a refill as the fuel crisis has worsened.
9. According to Singapore’s foreign ministry, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who escaped to the Maldives from Sri Lanka late Tuesday, is currently there on a private visit.
10. “He has not requested asylum, nor has any been granted to him. As Rajapaksa boarded a Saudi Airlines flight to arrive at Changi Airport on Thursday, the Singapore foreign ministry released a statement saying that the country “usually does not approve pleas for refuge.”