Sri Lanka, in the grip of a serious economic and political crisis, declared a state of emergency on Wednesday July 13, a few hours after the flight of its president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, announced the office of the prime minister, Dinouk Colombage.
The police announced an indefinite curfew in the Western Province, that of the capital Colombo, to contain the demonstrations. Thousands of people gathered outside the prime minister’s office, and security forces fired tear gas to prevent them from invading the building.
President Rajapaksa, booed by a strong popular movement, landed early Wednesday in the Maldives after leaving his country aboard a military plane. The 73-year-old leader, who vowed to step down and unsuccessfully attempted to leave Sri Lanka on Tuesday, took off from Colombo International Airport with his wife and a bodyguard in an Antonov-32, reported immigration officials.
According to Sri Lankan airport sources, the aircraft was held for over an hour on the airport tarmac awaiting clearance to land in the Maldives.
On Tuesday, Mr Rajapaksa had been turned away from Colombo airport by immigration officials and some of his advisers had considered for him and his relatives to escape on board a patrol vessel, according to a senior source. the field of defence.
A navy vessel was used to transfer the head of state from the presidential palace besieged by protesters to the port of Trincomalee in the northeast of the country on Saturday. Then, Mr. Rajapaksa joined Colombo International Airport by helicopter on Monday.
Suitcase filled with 17.85 million rupees
Having not yet resigned, which he promised to do on Wednesday for a “peaceful transition of power”Mr. Rajapaksa still enjoys presidential immunity.
In this leak, the Sri Lankan president left behind a suitcase full of documents and 17.85 million rupees (49,000 euros) in cash, now under seal.
If the head of state resigns as he promised, the prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, will automatically be appointed as interim president until the election by Parliament of an MP who will exercise power until the end. of the current mandate, i.e. November 2024.
Appointed in May by the Sri Lankan president to replace his own brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, Mr. Wickremesinghe is however also contested by the demonstrators who have camped in front of the presidential secretariat for more than three months to demand the resignation of the president because of the crisis. unprecedented economy that the country is going through.
Mr. Rajapaksa is accused of mismanaging the economy, leading to the country’s inability, starved of foreign currency, to finance the most essential imports for a population of 22 million. Colombo defaulted on its $51 billion foreign debt in April and is in talks with the International Monetary Fund for a possible bailout.
Sri Lanka has also almost exhausted its gasoline reserves. The government has ordered the closure of non-essential offices and schools to reduce travel and save fuel.