KYIV. UkraineGate. 13. July . 2022 | World News .
Sri Lanka’s Colombo declared a state of emergency after thousands of people crowded into the prime minister’s office after the country’s president fled to the Maldives, following months of widespread protests against the economic crisis.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa promised at the weekend to resign on Wednesday and pave the way for a “peaceful transition of power” after fleeing his official residence in Colombo before tens of thousands of protesters were overrun.
As president, Rajapaksa is immune from arrest, and it is believed that he wanted to travel abroad before stepping down to avoid possible arrest.
Immigration sources said he, his wife and two bodyguards were on board an Antonov 32 military plane that took off from Sri Lanka’s main international airport.
Hours later, without an official announcement that he was stepping down, thousands of protesters crowded into the office of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe – who would automatically become acting president if he resigned – demanding his departure.
