As it happended | Sri Lankans on edge ahead of President Rajapaksa's promised resignation

SL President given deadline by protesters for exit, said to seek safe passage for family

Protesters in Sri Lanka on Tuesday declared a deadline for a peaceful resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa amid rumours that he would not step down from his post if his family was not allowed a safe passage from the country.

The protesters have demanded, through social media announcements, that Rajapaksa must resign by 1 p.m. on Wednesday and warned that the people would be summoned to Colombo once again if he retracts the promise he has given to quit.

A representative of the protesters, who occupied the entrance to the President's House for over three months, has urged public to gather at the main protest site by 1 p.m.

Don’t fall ill or get into accidents: That’s the advice doctors in Sri Lanka are giving patients as the country’s economic crisis leaves its health care system short of drugs and other vital supplies.

The South Asian island nation lacks the money to pay for basic imports like fuel and food, and medicine is also running out. Such troubles threaten to undo its huge gains in public health in recent decades.

Some doctors have turned to social media to try to get donations of supplies or the funds to buy them. They’re also urging Sri Lankans living overseas to help out. So far there’s no sign of an end to the crisis that has thrust the country into an economic and political meltdown.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa signs resignation letter

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has signed his resignation letter, dated for July 13 and the Speaker of Parliament will publicly announce it to the nation on Wednesday, the Daily Mirror reported.

The resignation letter of the President was signed and handed over to a senior government official who will hand it over to the Parliament Speaker.

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena who has been informed of the letter will then make a public announcement on Wednesday ending Gotabaya Rajapaksa`s presidency, the Daily Mirror reported.

Sri Lanka's economic, political crisis causes concern to everyone: Maldives

Maldives on Tuesday expressed concern about the volatile situation in Sri Lanka which is facing an economic and political crisis where thousands of people stormed into the President`s House in Fort on Saturday.

Talking to ANI about the issue, Maldives`s Minister of State of Education, Dr Abdulla Rasheed Ahmed said that the Sri Lankan crisis has raised concern over the situation among its neighbours.

"India and Maldives, these are the closest neighbours to Sri Lanka. So if anything sad is happening to any of neighbouring country, definitely that should be a concern," said Rasheed Ahmed.
 

Indian Coast Guard on alert, will ensure no influx happens: DG Pathania on Sri Lankan situation

Indian Coast Guard is on alert and will ensure that no influx takes place from Sri Lanka, said the Indian Coast Guard Director General VS Pathania on Tuesday.

"We are always present along the coastline and the international boundary. Our presence is 24x7 and with the situation on the other side building up, we are just monitoring and the unit has been sensitized. We are alert and basically, our job is to ensure that no illegal immigration happens no influx happens and we are prepared for that," Pathania told ANI.
 

Sri Lanka: 10 injured in clash between protesting factions at Temple Trees

At least 10 people were injured and later hospitalised following a clash at Temple Trees in Colombo on Tuesday.

Nine men and one woman were admitted for treatment, of which six were admitted to the Colombo National Hospital (CNH), Daily Mirror reported citing sources.
 

Sri Lankans on edge ahead of President Rajapaksa's promised resignation on Wednesday

Sri Lankans were on the edge on Tuesday as they waited whether embattled Gotabaya Rajapaksa will honour his offer to resign as president, amid signs that key members of the erstwhile powerful ruling family were attempting to flee in the face of massive public anger against them for mishandling the economy that has bankrupt the country.

Sri Lankan President’s whereabouts : Air Force clarifies reports

The Sri Lanka Air Force has refuted reports claiming that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been provided refuge at the private residence of Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana.

Issuing a statement, the Air Force Media Unit said that the voice message issued on social media by former OIC Ajith Dharmapala in this regard is false. The Sri Lanka Air Force further said that the revelation by the former OIC is an attempt to cause disrepute to the Air Force and the Commander of the Air Force.  The Air Force further said this was also an attempt to turn public anger toward the Sri Lanka Air Force.
 

Motion filed in SL Supreme Court seeking an order prohibiting Rajapaksa from leaving country

A motion filed with the Supreme Court seeking an order prohibiting Mahinda Rajapaksa, Basil Rajapaksa, Ajith Nivard and several others from leaving the country.

Sri Lanka lawmakers to pick new president but no deal on PM

Sri Lanka’s leaders agreed that lawmakers will elect a new president next week but struggled Tuesday to decide on the makeup of a new government to lift the bankrupt country out of economic and political collapse.

A partial solution came late Monday, with lawmakers agreeing to elect a new president from their ranks in the coming days. Nominations for the post will be submitted on July 19, and a secret vote will follow in Parliament on July 20. The new president will serve the remainder of Rajapaksa’s term, which ends in 2024.

But they have not yet decided who will take over as prime minister and fill the Cabinet. Between Rajapaksa’s expected resignation Wednesday and the vote, the prime minster will serve as president, an arrangement that is sure to further anger protesters who want Wickremesinghe out immediately.

Huge queues as Sri Lankans revel in rare tour of president’s house

Sri Lankans in the capital city of Colombo queued outside president's house on Tuesday (July 12) to take a tour of the colonial-era building, few days after thousands of protesters stormed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's home and office and the prime minister's official residence. 

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the president of crisis-hit Sri Lanka, was scheduled to step down from office on Wednesday but was prevented from doing so by airport immigration personnel, according to South China Morning Post.

On Saturday, Rajapaksa left his official residence as tens of thousands of demonstrators besieged his home incensed by the country's economic crisis. Later, the troubled president of Sri Lanka consented to step down, paving the way for a "peaceful transition of power."

The SCMP claimed that Rajapaksa, who is now not subject to arrest, planned to leave for Dubai before resigning in order to escape the risk of being imprisoned.

However, the 73-year-old leader's passport was not stamped by border officials since they would not enter the VIP area.

Also read | Sri Lanka in crisis: After Rajapaksa steps down, Sajith Premadasa ready to run for presidency

Also read | The group, which included a Catholic priest, a digital strategist and a popular playwright, succeeded beyond their wildest hopes

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for dialogue to ensure a smooth transition of government in Sri Lanka and find sustainable solutions to the economic crisis."I stand in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka & call for dialogue to ensure a smooth transition of government & to find sustainable solutions to the economic crisis," Guterres tweeted."I condemn all acts of violence and call for those responsible to be held accountable," he added.

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In a video released by the navy, a fishing trawler with 78 Sri Lankans onboard could be seen returning to the Sri Lankan shore. These people attempted to escape the country facing worst economic crisis since its independence.

Sri Lankan parliament speaker has said that the parliament will elect new President of Sri Lanka on July 20.

"Nominations for the next president will be presented to parliament on 19 July. On 20 July parliament will vote to elect a new president," Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said in a statement.

"During the party leaders' meeting held today, it was agreed that this was essential to ensure a new all-party government is in place in accordance with the Constitution and to take forward essential services."

The parliament will reconvene on July 15.

Within a span of couple hours, Sri Lanka Parliament Speaker Mahinda Tapa Abeywardena has retracted his earlier statement that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had fled the country.

Abeywardena was quoted by BBC as saying that the president had fled.

However, while talking with Indian news agency ANI, he said that he made a 'mistake' in his earlier statement.

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Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa seen near airport, is he fleeing the country?

Speaker of Sri Lankan parliament Mahinda Tapa Abeywardena has told BBC that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has left the island nation and is in a nearby country.

Abeywardena said Rajapaksa will be back on Wednesday (July 13) and will step down on the same day.

In an emotional statement, Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the official residence ransacked by angry mobs of Sri Lankan public was his 'only house'.

Amid crippling economic crisis, huge mobs of Sri Lankan protesters have ransacked the official residence of the PM.

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The Sri Lanka turmoil is getting more chaotic by the minute. After months of protests, rallies and demonstrations, Protestors have now taken over President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's mansion. Social media images and videos, show a disorderly yet happy scene inside the overrun President palace.

After unprecedented political turmoil over the weekend, Sri Lanka's main opposition parties agreed to form an all-party interim government after protesters forced the President and the Prime Minister to offer their resignations over the mismanagement.

Leaders of the Sri Lankan protest movement, who have forced the president and prime minister from their official estates, declared on Sunday that they will remain in the buildings until the two resigned from their positions.

Meanwhile, images and videos that have gone viral on social media show a chaotic yet joyful scene inside the overrun official President and Prime Minister's houses.

Click here to take a peek at the scene of chaos:

After the unprecedented political turmoil over the weekend, Sri Lanka's main opposition parties on Sunday have now formed an all party interim government after the protest which forced the President and then the PM to offer their resignations.

Leaders of Sri Lanka's protest movement said on Sunday they would occupy the residences of the president and prime minister until they finally quit office, the day after the two men agreed to resign leaving the country in political limbo.

Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has informed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that he will resign as previously announced, according to the prime minister's office.

Calm has since returned to Colombo, the country's commercial centre, but the scene at the presidential palace, which had been overtaken gets chaotic. 

For months the 22 million people island nation has seen its worst economic crisis on record, with months-long blackouts, severe food and fuel shortages, and soaring inflation.

Here is a recap of how the crisis developed:

Sri Lanka is currently in a mess, facing its worst economic crisis. The country has suffered through months of food and fuel shortages, lengthy blackouts and galloping inflation. The South Asian nation ran out of foreign currency to import vital goods. 

Here's an anatomy of the massive protest

From an unknown location, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has ordered officials to ensure the smooth distribution of cooking gas after the fuel-starved country received 3,700 metric tonnes of LP gas, his office said on Sunday (July 10). This order comes after the country's parliamentary speaker said that Rajapaksa plans to step down on July 13. Although Rajapaksa has not commented directly. 

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On Saturday, the presidential palace in Colombo was overrun by hundreds of people. The protesters walked in the garden, laughed, took selfies, enjoyed while working out and treated themselves to a swim. People were plonking on a grand piano, admiring the expensive artwork, picnicking and taking turns to sit in the president's chair. 

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The Sri Lankan crisis takes another dramatic turn as Dhammika Perera, the minister of investment promotion, has announced his resignation from his position as minister with immediate effect. 

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