As it happened: Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa steps down, IMF says talks 'interrupted' by unrest

The IMF hopes unrest in Sri Lanka will be resolved soon so that aid talks that were interrupted can resume, a fund spokesman said Thursday.

"We are, of course, deeply concerned about the ongoing crisis of impact on the Sri Lankan people and particularly the poor and the vulnerable groups," IMF spokesman Gerry Rice told reporters.

Following constructive early talks, "clearly the political and the social emergency situation... has interrupted those discussions," he said. 

News that Rajapaksa submitted a letter of resignation on Thursday led to jubilation in the commercial capital Colombo where protesters massed outside the presidential secretariat.

Crowds set off firecrackers, shouted slogans and danced ecstatically at the Gota Go Gama protest site, named mockingly after Rajapaksa's first name.

Former Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog Arvind Panagariya said that China's investment in Sri Lanka is a part of the Sri Lankan crisis, but it's not the sole or the principal cause of the problem.

"China's operations are not always transparent. As a result, countries certainly have suffered. Two examples are in our own neighborhood, i.e. both Pakistan and Sri Lanka. China's investment into Sri Lanka is a part of the Sri Lankan crisis, but it's not the sole or the principal cause of the problem," said Panagariya, Former Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog in an exclusive interview to ANI.

Panagariya said, "Crisis in Sri Lanka happened due to its polices in the last 10 years. Sri Lanka went out on borrowing spree and the foreign debt almost doubled in relation to the size of the economy. It is a very large foreign debt. A lot of this debt was borrowed from a private market by the Sri Lankan government. Also, it seems that whatever was borrowed was not reused very prudently."

Now that Gotabaya has resigned, the speaker of Sri Lanka's parliament will call the assembly to order, and its 225 members will vote to choose a new president, most likely the following week. 

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Press secretary of Sri Lankan parliament speaker has been quoted as saying that the speaker has received resignation letter from President Rajapaksa through Singapore Embassy in Sri Lanka. The secretary said that official announcement in this regard will be made tomorrow after re-checking the data and completion of legal proceedings.

Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has resigned.

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The plane used by Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa can be seen in this video taken in Singapore.

Sri Lanka's anti-government protesters, who forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa from his official residence at the weekend, announced Thursday that they will vacate key buildings they have overrun.

"We are peacefully withdrawing from the Presidential Palace, the Presidential Secretariat and the Prime Minister's Office with immediate effect, but will continue our struggle," a spokeswoman said.

Curfew has been imposed for the Colombo Administrate District from 12 noon today (14) until 5 AM tomorrow (15)

A private jet has landed in Maldives to carry Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his family to Singapore, journalists on ground say.

It is also understood that Gotabaya's resignation will likely surface after that.

Sri Lanka: Protesters await Rajapaksa’s resignation after fleeing

The situation in Sri Lanka got worse as more protests began after Rajapaksa’s decision to name his ally Ranil Wickremesinghe, as interim president. The protesters stormed the premier’s office and demanded his resignation as well.

A nationwide curfew has been imposed until Thursday morning in Sri Lanka in the wake of intensifying protests against the government.

The notification was issued by Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday.

The curfew will remain in force till 5 am on July 14. The notification said that no person shall be on any public road, railway, public park, public recreation ground or other public ground or the seashore in the schedule specified areas from midnight of July 13 to 5 am on July 14.

Citizens can move under a written permit. Wickremesinghe signed the notification as Prime Minister.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has not departed for Singapore on the scheduled Singapore Airlines flight from Male to Singapore, the Daily Mirror reported.

Rajapaksa along with his wife Ioma Rajapaksa and two security officers were expected to leave for Singapore on board SQ437 from Male to Singapore tonight but did not board the aircraft due to security issues, the media oulet added citing sources. 

Moreover, securing a private aircraft for the embattled President is currently in talks, Maldivian Media reported. 

Parliament is expected to name a new full-time president next week, and a top ruling party source told Reuters Wickremesinghe was the party's first choice, although no decision had been taken.

An attempt by Wickremesinghe to cling on would infuriate the protesters who say he is a close ally of the Rajapaksa family, which has dominated the country since Rajapaksa's older brother Mahinda became president in 2005.

"An MP with one seat is appointed as PM. Now the same person is appointed as acting President," the opposition presidential nominee, Sajith Premadasa, said on Twitter. "This is the Rajapaksa style of democracy. What a farce. What a tragedy."

Despite his flight, Rajapaksa's own resignation was not yet confirmed by late Wednesday. Earlier, the parliament speaker, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, said Rajapaksa had phoned him and told him his resignation letter would arrive later on Wednesday. An aide to Abeywardena had no update on the letter late in the day.

Maldives media reported that Singapore was likely to give Rajapaksa asylum.

An aide to Rajapaksa and the Singapore government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung tweeted: "The United States reiterates our call for calm at this time. We urge all parties to approach this juncture with a commitment to the betterment of the nation & to work quickly to implement solutions that will bring long-term economic and political stability." 

"We condemn all violence & call for the rule of law to be upheld. A peaceful transfer of power within SL’s democratic & constitutional framework is essential so the people’s demands for accountability, transparency, democratic governance & a better future can be realized," Chung added. 

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has reportedly requested the Maldives government to arrange a private jet.

Quoting government sources in the Maldives, NDTV reported that Rajapaksa wants the jet to fly him to Singapore. 

Click to read: With countries experiencing food and fuel shortages due to the ongoing crisis and disruption in the supply chain, they have fallen into unrest, and this has benefitted Russia’s agenda.

In order to ensure law and order during the interim between the President's departure and the election of a new President, General Shavendra Silva, the Chief of Defence Staff, appealed to all citizens.

He made a specific appeal, pleading with people not to damage either public or private property.

He claimed that they asked the Speaker to call a conference of party leaders and tell the security forces of the political measures to be implemented in the wake of the President's resignation.

After taking part in anti-government protests that resulted in the Prime Minister's office being taken over in Colombo, a couple was photographed kissing and cuddling. (Picture courtesy: twitter.com/NewsWireLK)

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, as the Acting President, has ordered to impose curfew in the Western Province with immediate effect and to impose emergency law island-wide, the Prime Minister’s Office said

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has authorized the prime minister to carry out presidential duties, the speaker of parliament said on Wednesday (July 13) after the president fled to the Maldives amid protests.

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said Rajapaksa had approved Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe acting as president, invoking a section of the constitution dealing with times when the president is unable to fulfil his duties.

Sri Lanka PM Wickremesinghe appointed acting president, says speaker, reports AFP. 

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abywardena said that the President has appointed Ranil Wickremesinghe to act on his behalf as he is out of the country.  

The Speaker said that Ranil Wickremesinghe has been appointed as the Acting  President as per Article 37 (01) of the Constitution of Sri Lanka.

Protesters stormed the Sri Lankan prime minister's office after the president fled the country only hours before he was to step down amid a devastating economic crisis that has triggered severe shortages of food and fuel.

Protesters are demanding that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe step down immediately. He said he would leave once a new government was in place.

Sri Lanka declares state of emergency after president flees: PM's office

After President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to Maldives, thousands of protesters took to the streets of Sri Lanka's capital Colombo demanding his resignation. According to reports, security forces have been deployed to disperse the crowd

According to sources, Maldives is not Gotabaya's final destination. He is expected to reach his final destination later today evening and only then, the resignation would likely be announced by the Speaker of Parliament. A third party will deliver the letter to the Speaker.

Since Gotabaya Rajapaksa enjoys immunity from arrest as he is the president, he is believed to have wanted to go abroad before stepping down to avoid the possibility of being detained. 

Sri Lanka parliamentary speaker yet to get President Rajapaksa's resignation letter, say sources 

Reports from Speaker's office confirm that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa did not appoint an acting president before his departure

The Indian High Commission in Colombo said on Twitter it "categorically denies baseless and speculative media reports that India facilitated the recent reported travel of @gotabayar @Realbrajapaksa out of Sri Lanka".

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flies out of country, lands in Maldives