World / Sri lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa still in Sri Lanka clarifies Parliament Speaker

Sri Lanka : Anti-government protests continue in Sri Lanka. Protesters occupied the residences of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ronil Wickremesinghe. There is no information about where the President is at present amid the turmoil in the country. But in the meantime the Speaker of Parliament has claimed that President Gotabaya is in the country. Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abhayawardene clarified on Monday that Gotabaya Rajapaksa is still in the country.

Two days ago there were reports that the President had left Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan president, who announced his resignation on Saturday, is said to have fled and was in a third country. Speaker Abhaywardene told ANI in a telephone call, "Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is still in the country, I made a mistake in the (BBC) interview." When asked about the whereabouts of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Sri Lankan President, the Speaker said that both of them are still in the country.

Let us tell you that Sri Lanka is facing an unprecedented economic upheaval. The country with a population of 22 million people is passing through the worst phase in seven decades. Sri Lanka is short of foreign exchange, leaving the country unable to pay for essential imports of fuel and other essential commodities. In the midst of these conditions, the public is on the streets. On Saturday, thousands of people stormed the Rashtrapati Bhavan and captured it. In the dramatic scene, protesters are seen playing carrom boards, sleeping on sofas, enjoying in the park and making dinner at the PM's official residence.

Sri Lankan parliament speaker Mahinda Yapa Abhayawardene said on Saturday night that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa would resign on July 13. Abhaywardene had written for Rajapaksa's resignation after the all-party leaders' meeting on Saturday evening, following which President Rajapaksa informed the Speaker of Parliament about the decision. Abhaywardene wrote a letter to Rajapaksa on the decisions taken in the meeting.