[Text/Observer Network Wang Meng] According to CNN News 18, citing exclusive information from relevant sources, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled to the Maldives on the 13th, may now go to Singapore with his family.
CNN News 18 Screenshot of the report: Rajapaksa may travel to Singapore from the Maldives tonight
Reported that, according to a brief statement issued by the Sri Lanka Air Force, Rajapaksa was traveling on a military aircraft with his wife and two security officials. Left Sri Lanka. "In accordance with the request of the government and the powers vested in the President by the Constitution, and with the full approval of the Ministry of Defence, the President, his wife and two security officials boarded a Sri Lanka Air Force aircraft from Katunaya in the early hours of July 13," the statement said. Departing from Kuala Lumpur International Airport heading to Maldives ”.
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation BBC news, Rajapaksa arrived in Male, the capital of the Maldives, around 3 a.m. local time (6 a.m. Beijing time).
sources quoted Maldivian officials as saying that Rajapaksa was received by local government officials at the Maldives capital airport and escorted by police to an undisclosed location. In addition, sources also revealed that Rajapaksa has been communicating with the Singapore authorities, and Singapore has now given approval to travel.
Rajapaksa (right) was welcomed by Maldivian officials at Male' Velana International Airport (picture from news18)
According to previous news, large-scale protests broke out in Sri Lanka on July 9, local time, and some demonstrators broke into the presidential palace. Japaksa's official residence. After a large number of demonstrators stormed the presidential palace, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and President Rajapaksa successively announced that they would resign.
Sri Lankan people protested on the streets. Picture from foreign media
CNN News 18 quoted Maldivian media as saying that Rajapaksa cannot stay in Sri Lanka for too long. Most Maldivian political parties are angry that President Solih and Maldives Parliament Speaker and former President Nasheed helped Rajapaksa escape Sri Lanka.
The reason given by the Maldives government for this is that Rajapaksa is still the president of Sri Lanka and he has not resigned or handed over power to his successor. Therefore, relevant sources said that "if the president wants to travel to the Maldives, this cannot be refused." It is understood that Rajapaksa, who enjoyed immunity from prosecution while serving as president, fled the country before resigning to avoid the possibility of arrest by the new government. The
report also mentioned that a total of 13 people accompanied Rajapaksa to the Maldives, and the military aircraft they took was An-32. Moreover, the initial request of Rajapaksa and his party to land in the Maldives was rejected by the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority, but they were later allowed to land at Nasheed's request.
Sri Lankan news website Morning Post quoted senior government sources as saying that Rajapaksa may not submit his resignation letter until he arrives at his final destination on Wednesday evening. It is understood that Rajapaksa's resignation letter will be sent to Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker Abbey Wardena at around 8pm Sri Lankan time (10:30 Beijing time).
Meanwhile, the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka categorically denied the "baseless and speculative" media reports that India assisted Rajapaksa in escaping to the Maldives.
In addition, CNN News 18 exclusively reported that Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has also been confirmed to have left Sri Lanka. The BBC quoted sources as reporting that Rajapaksa's younger brother and former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa has also left the country.
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