Speaker retracts statement on President leaving country

Speaker of Sri Lanka’s Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Monday clarified that Gotabaya Rajapaksa is still in the country, soon after reports emerged that President has left the island nation. 

Sri Lankan President, who announced his resignation on Saturday, was earlier said to have left the country and was in another country.

“President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa is still in the country, I made a mistake in the (BBC) interview,” Speaker Abeywardena told ANI in a telephone call. 

When asked further about the whereabouts of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Sri Lankan President, the speaker said that both of them are still in the country.

The development comes after thousands of people stormed into the President’s House in Fort on Saturday. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also announced to step down from his posts amid the ongoing protests.

However, the protesters who have occupied the residences of the President and Prime Minister have cleared that they will continue to occupy their houses until they resign from their posts.

Earlier, on Saturday, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced in a press conference that the President will resign from his post on July 13. Rajapaksa officially informed PM Wickremesinghe that he is resigning from his post.

Source: ANI

--Agencies