Sri Lanka’s ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to live in state bungalow with heavy security blanket

The Sri Lankan government has provided officialresidence and heavy blanket security to ousted former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who returned to the country after he had fled in July following unresttriggered by economic crises, according to reports.

Rajapaksa fled on July 13 following massive protests in Colombo, where enraged demonstrators barged into his official residence and office and was residing in Thailand.

The 73-year-old was greeted by his supporters, and ministers after he landed at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport from Bangkok.

Shortly after leaving the airport, Rajapaksa was escorted in a motorcade heavily guarded by armed soldiers and was driven to the posh Colombo residential area of Cinnamon Gardens where a state-maintained bungalow was provided to him, officials said.

According to PTI news agency, Rajapaksa wanted to move into his private residence at Mirihana in Colombo’s eastern suburb of Nugegoda, but he was prevented from going to his private residence due to security considerations.

The former Sri Lankan leader will be residing in a state bungalow close to Wijerama Mawatha area in Colombo, where a heavy security has been arranged, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported.

A source from the ruling SLPP told EconomyNext website said that Rajapaksa won’t be involved in politics despite many of the “party members urging him to start again”.

Many core party members are also against the former president coming into parliament. They do not want him to become the leader again.

"He has not committed any crimes. So, he has all the rights to return to the country and all privileges as the former president,” the report quoted the source as saying.

Earlier, President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who shares cordial relations with Rajapaksa, said that the former president’s return is a sensitive issue and will ensure his security.

(With inputs from agencies)

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