Last Updated: July 18, 2022, 08:12 IST
Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa (second from left) and his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa (L) interact with former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe (R) during the swearing-in ceremony in Colombo. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed to be acting president as incumbent Gotabaya Rajapaksa was overseas, the parliamentary Speaker announced on July 13 as thousands of protesters demanded both men step down.
LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI / AFP
Ranil Wickremesinghe was on Friday sworn in as Sri Lanka’s acting president after parliament accepted the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Sri Lanka’s acting president Ranil Wickremesinghe has declared a state of emergency in the country, according to a government notice.
This comes after Ranil Wickremesinghe was on Friday sworn in as Sri Lanka’s acting president after parliament accepted the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa who fled the country.
Rajapaksa, who fled to the Maldives on Wednesday and then landed in Singapore on Thursday, has formally resigned, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena confirmed early on Friday, capping off a chaotic 72-hours in the crisis-hit nation that saw protesters storm many iconic buildings, including the President and the Prime Minister’s residences here.
Rajapaksa, 73, had emailed his resignation to Speaker Abeywardena who said that he accepted his resignation, which he received late on Thursday. Rajapaksa’s departure from office marks a major victory for the anti-government protesters, who for months have demanded his removal. His resignation also ended the rule by a family that wielded power in the country for nearly 20 years.
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