COLOMBO: According to official sources, Tuesday’s humiliating standoff between the embattled president of Sri Lanka and airport immigration officials prevented him from fleeing for safety abroad.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa has promised to step down on Wednesday in order to allow for a “peaceful transition of power” in response to widespread demonstrations against him over the unheard-of economic crisis facing the nation.
The 73-year-old leader wanted to go to Dubai, according to officials, so he left his official residence in Colombo just before tens of thousands of protesters stormed it on Saturday.
Rajapaksa is believed to want to leave the country before resigning in order to avoid the possibility of being arrested because he is immune from arrest in his capacity as president.
However, immigration officials were refusing to stamp his passport in the VIP suite while he insisted he would not use the public restrooms out of fear of retaliation from other airport travellers.
After missing four flights that could have taken them to the United Arab Emirates, the president and his wife spent the night at a military base close to the main international airport.
Basil Rajapaksa, the youngest brother of Rajapaksa and the former finance minister who quit in April, missed his own early-morning Tuesday Emirates flight to Dubai due to a similar altercation with airport staff.
Rajapaksa is believed to want to leave the country before resigning in order to avoid the possibility of being arrested because he is immune from arrest in his capacity as president.
However, immigration officials were refusing to stamp his passport in the VIP suite while he insisted he would not use the public restrooms out of fear of retaliation from other airport travellers.
After missing four flights that could have taken them to the United Arab Emirates, the president and his wife spent the night at a military base close to the main international airport.
Basil Rajapaksa, the youngest brother of Rajapaksa and the former finance minister who quit in April, missed his own early-morning Tuesday Emirates flight to Dubai due to a similar altercation with airport staff.
Quick retreat
According to official sources, 17.85 million rupees in cash and a suitcase packed with documents were also left behind at the regal mansion. These items are currently in the custody of a Colombo court.
He was still the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and had access to military resources, but the president’s office had not made any official announcement about his whereabouts.
He could still use a navy ship to travel to India or the Maldives, according to a defence source.
If Rajapaksa fulfils his promise to resign, Ranil Wickremesinghe, the prime minister, will automatically take over as president until the parliament chooses a member of parliament to complete Rajapaksa’s term, which expires in November 2024.
Rajapaksa is charged with mismanaging the economy to the extent that the nation lacks foreign currency to pay for even the most basic imports, causing extreme hardship for the 22 million people living there.
Sri Lanka is in discussions with the IMF for a potential bailout after defaulting on its $51 billion in foreign debt in April.
The island’s already limited gasoline supplies are almost gone. To cut down on commuting and save fuel, the government has mandated the closure of non-essential offices and schools.
