Riya Gupta (New Delhi)
Following months of demonstrations against an economic crisis, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa travelled to the Maldives today, sparking large rallies that caused Sri Lanka to impose a state of emergency.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa has nominated Prime Minister Wickremesinghe to serve as the interim president while he is away, according to the announcement made by Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa left his official mansion in Colombo shortly before tens of thousands of demonstrators overran it over the weekend, promising to step down on Wednesday to allow for a “peaceful transition of power.”
Rajapaksa is thought to have intended to leave Sri Lanka before resigning in order to avoid the risk of being arrested because he is president and is therefore immune from arrest.
