Colombo: Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has taken over as interim president of Sri Lanka. Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation letter was officially assumed after Speaker Mahinda Yapa informed Abhayawardene. The run will continue until a new president takes office. The speaker also said that the new president will be elected in the country within seven days.
Gotabaya had to resign as president after reports that the Sri Lankan parliament would elect a new president on July 20. Gotabaya was fleeing the country after the protesters occupied his office and residence.
People allege that the country’s economic crisis has worsened due to the mismanagement of Gotabaya, who is known as a war hero, and his brother and former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. Then people came to the scene demanding their resignation. Sri Lanka is experiencing its worst economic crisis since independence.
Thousands protested in the streets demanding the resignation of the President. The protestors occupied the official residence of the President. Gotabaya, who went to the Maldives with his family, later reached Singapore. At the same time, the Singaporean authorities clarified that Gotabaya did not ask for asylum, nor did they grant it. The Associated Press reported that Gotabaya is trying to reach Saudi Arabia via Singapore.