Sri Lanka Air Force said an aircraft was given to President Rajapaksa, his wife and two body guards to leave the country following a request of the prevailing government in the early hours of July 13 to leave for the Maldives.
It was done “with the full approval of the ministry of defence, under the immigration, customs and all other laws at the Katunayake International Airport,” the statement said.
President Rajapaksa was forced to resign following the worst currency crises triggered by the island’s intermediate regime central bank.
The central bank has busted the currency from 4.70 to 380 to the US dollar since the Latin America style agency was created by a US money doctor in 1950. (Colombo/July13/2022)
Former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa who was to leave the country to the United States of America via Dubai early this morning through the VIP lounge was refused to check in by airport emigration staff and he was forced to return, officials at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) said on Tuesday.
Basil Rajapaksa, 71-year old younger brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, is the chief strategist behind the election victories of the president as well as the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).
Basil’s move to leave the country comes after his president brother has already announced to resign from Sri Lanka’s most powerful post with effect from Wednesday after tens of thousands of protesters stormed in to his official residence.
Basil’s another brother Mahinda Rajapaksa was forced to resign from prime minister post two months ago. Basil himself resigned from the SLPP MP post one month ago.
Meanwhile Sri Lanka’s military chiefs had asked party leaders to meet with the Parliamentary speaker and tell them next political steps they intended to take until a new President is elected and called on the public and young protestors to be calm, Chief of Staff Shavendra Silva said.
The military chiefs had had discussion with the speaker.
“The heads of the tri-forces and police chief made a request from the speaker to call a meeting of party leaders and clarify the next political steps, and inform us of the political steps,”General Silva said in a televised address flanked by the heads of Air Force, Army, Navy and Police.
“We are confident these decisions to be made public in the evening,”
“Until these decisions are made new President is elected we appeal to the public to support the military and police. We ask the dear people of the country n to support us to maintain the peace.”
Sri Lanka is facing a “fascist threat” that needs to be contained, newly appointed Acting President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said, announcing a curfew and state of emergency after hundreds of protestors took control of the Prime Minister’s office.
In a video statement released Wednesday July 13 afternoon, Wickremesinghe said he has appointed a committee comprising military commanders and the police chief to enforce the curfew and state of emergency.
Citing intelligence reports, Wickremesinghe claimed that factions of Sri Lanka’s newly emergent anti-government protest movement – known as the aragalaya (or struggle) – had plotted to seize and occupy the president’s and prime minister’s official residences and offices as well as the parliament complex.
Above news story Complied form news stories published in EcomonyNext.
But many political commentators have pointed out that PM Ranil W. does not have power to declare emergency or curfew. Later it was reported no emergence or curfew has been declared.