Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to leave for Singapore: Reports
Colombo: President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled Sri Lanka earlier in the day, might leave for Singapore on Wednesday, reports Daily Mirror.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has taken over as the acting President of the nation, hours after Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to Maldives amid protests against him in the country.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Acting President in accordance with the Article 37.1 of the Constitution, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardhane was quoted as saying by Daily Mirror.
He said in a special statement that the President informed him that the Prime Minister was appointed as the Acting President as he was away from the country, the newspaper reported.
Ranil Wickremesinghe ordered a curfew in the Western Province of Sri Lanka with immediate effect and ordered an emergency law island-wide, media reports said on Wednesday.
Out of an abundance of caution, Consular is canceling our Wednesday afternoon services (American citizen services and NIV passback) as well as all consular services on Thursday. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reschedule all canceled appointments. #ConsularWednesday pic.twitter.com/MzK2b6Sahz
— U.S. Embassy Colombo (@USEmbSL) July 13, 2022
"The Prime Minister also ordered the security forces to arrest those acting in a riotous manner," Daily Mirror reported.
Sources told IBNS protesters were demonstrating near the PM's office in Colombo on Wednesday morning.
The PM issued the order after the police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse at least 1500 people who were protesting near the Prime Minister's office on Flower Road, Colombo 07 on Wednesday morning demanding resignation of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe.
According to media reports, protesters even attempted to enter the Prime Minister's Office.
The US Embassy, meanwhile, announced it will suspend all consular activities as a precautionary measure till Thursday.
"Out of an abundance of caution, Consular is canceling our Wednesday afternoon services (American citizen services and NIV passback) as well as all consular services on Thursday. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reschedule all canceled appointments," the Embassy tweeted.
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