The Sri Lanka President is yet to resign as of Thursday. (FILE)
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa came to Singapore today from the Maldives, where he fled to yesterday to escape a massive protest as the country struggled with an economic crisis.
Here are the top 10 updates on this big story
- Rajapaksa had promised to resign on Wednesday, but Sri Lanka's Parliament Speaker Yapa Abeywardena said that he is yet to receive the resignation letter from the him.
- Meanwhile. the anti-government protesters, who forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa from his official residence at the weekend, announced that they will vacate key buildings they have overrun.
- Protesters overran President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's palace at the weekend, forcing him to flee to the Maldives on Wednesday, when activists also entered the office of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
- The premier, whom Rajapaksa named as acting president in his absence, had demanded the evacuation of state buildings and instructed security forces to do "what is necessary to restore order".
- Tear gas shells were fired as thousands of people mobbed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office, took over his residence and pushed against the gates of the Lankan parliament yesterday.
- Yesterday, the Lankan political leaders held an all-party meeting, where it was decided to let the parliament Speaker take over as the acting President.
- The office of Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has been asked to step down, said the ruling party and the opposition must form an all-party government.
- Sri Lanka reimposed curfew in Western Province hours after it was lifted amid fears of violence.
- The United Kingdom, Singapore and Bahrain have asked their citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the island nation.
- Protests against the economic crisis have simmered for months and came to a head last weekend when hundreds of thousands of people took over government buildings in Colombo, blaming the Rajapaksas and their allies for runaway inflation, shortages and corruption.
