IT seems trouble is not ending anytime soon for former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. While he has been travelling from one country to another after protests in his own land turned serious, Rajapaksa has not found any long-term assurance from any of the nations that have given him temporary shelter. Even India has decided against hosting him as New Delhi doesn't want to see itself to be against the people of Sri Lanka.
The 73-year-old leader left Sri Lanka with his wife and two security officers on a military jet on Wednesday (13) to fly to the Maldives from where he went to Singapore. However, a report in CNN-News18 has said citing sources that the Southeast Asian city-state has allowed Rajapaksa a stopover of 15 days and it is unlikely to be extended.
The former Sri Lankan president, who resigned via email from Singapore on Thursday (14), is not clear about his plan post the fortnight. If sources are to be believed, Rajapaksa also approached India with a request to allow him to stay but New Delhi has turned it down as it doesn't want to be seen as against the people of Sri Lanka who have strongly protested against the former president's regime after the country's economy collapsed.
Rajapaksa announced his decision to step down on Wednesday, days after protesters stormed his official residence in Colombo and blamed him for the country's unprecedented economic crisis. However, he fled to the Maldives before resigning.
'Rajapaksa allowed Singapore entry on private visit'
Meanwhile, a spokesperson of Singapore's foreign affairs ministry said Rajapaksa has been “allowed entry into Singapore on a private visit".
The leader has “not asked for asylum and neither has he been granted any asylum", the spokesperson said on Thursday, adding that the Singapore government does not grant requests for asylum.
The Lankan parliament was set to meet on Saturday (16) to elect a new president. Under the country's constitution, if both the president and prime minister resign, the speaker of the parliament will serve as the acting president for a maximum of one month.
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