New Delhi/Colombo/Singapore: Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday emailed his resignation letter to the Speaker, soon after he was allowed by Singapore to enter the city-state on a "private visit", ending the suspense over his future in the face of massive public revolt against his government's mishandling of the economy.
A Saudi airlines flight - SV 788 - carrying Rajapaksa arrived in Singapore from the Maldives where he had fled early Wednesday without resigning as promised to avoid the possibility of arrest by the new government.
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena's media secretary Indunil Abeywardena on Thursday night said a resignation letter from President Rajapaksa has been received through the Sri Lanka High Commission in Singapore.
"The Speaker wishes to inform that an official statement on this would be made tomorrow (Friday) after the verification process and legal formalities," Abeywardena said in a brief statement.
The Speaker wants to see the original signature. The original will be brought to Colombo from Singapore in the next available flight by a diplomatic officer, sources said.
The development comes on a day when anti-government protesters announced to vacate some of the administrative buildings, including the President's House and the PM Office, they have been occupying since April 9 demanding Rajapaksa's ouster.
With Rajapaksa's resignation Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will be the President. As Sri Lanka reels under political and economic crisis, India on Thursday hoped for an early solution to the crisis related to the government and its leadership through democratic means and the constitutional framework.
Asserting that ensuring peace and stability of all countries in the region was an important aspect of its 'Neighbourhood First' policy, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, at his weekly media briefing, said India continued to stand with the Lankan people and it remained engaged with all relevant stakeholders in that country.
Also on Thursday, the Indian High Commission in Male described as "baseless" the reports suggesting that the government of India was involved in the reported transit of Rajapaksa through the Maldives.
"We will continue to stand with the people of Sri Lanka as they seek to realise their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means and values as well as established institutions and constitutional framework," Bagchi said.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Army in a statement urged the protesters to desist from violence immediately or be prepared to face the "consequences", warning that the security forces are "legitimately empowered" to exercise force.
Authorities on Wednesday imposed a curfew in the Western Province following the eruption of violence. The curfew was lifted on Thursday morning. But it had to be reimposed amid fears of violence as there was no word from Rajapaksa on his resignation.
Rajapaksa, the 73-year-old leader who had promised to resign on Wednesday instead appointed Prime Minister Wickremesinghe as the Acting President hours after he fled to the Maldives, escalating the political crisis and triggering a fresh wave of protests in the island nation.
From the Maldives, he went to Singapore on Thursday.
A spokesperson for Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Rajapaksa has been "allowed entry into Singapore on a private visit".
He has not asked for asylum and neither has he been granted any asylum, the spokesperson said, adding Singapore generally does not grant requests for asylum.
President Rajapaka's brothers - former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and ex-finance minister Basil Rajapaksa - on Thursday gave an undertaking to the Supreme Court through their lawyers that they will not leave the country until the Fundamental Rights petition filed against them is heard on Friday, the Daily Mirror reported. A five-judge bench of Lankan Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, Justice Buwaneka Aluwihare, Justice Priyantha Jayawardena, Justice Vijith Malalgoda, and Justice LTB Dehideniya are scheduled to hear on Friday the petition against the two members of the erstwhile powerful Rajapaksa family. agencies