President Gotabaya Rajapaksa submits resignation to Speaker?

According to the statement issued by the Speaker’s Office, a letter of resignation from President Rajapaksa was received through the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Singapore.

President Rajapaksa was expected to submit his letter of resignation to Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena after landing in Singapore yesterday. While he reached Singapore earlier on Thursday, the Singapore Foreign Ministry said that neither “had he asked for asylum, nor had he been granted asylum” in the country.

Gotabaya travelled to Singapore on a Saudi Airlines flight from the Maldives. Saudi Airline flight SV 788 believed to be carrying President Rajapaksa had touched down at the Changi International Airport in Singapore shortly after 7.00 p.m. Rajapaksa had later requested the Maldivian government to arrange him a private jet to depart for Singapore from the Maldives.

Shortly before Rajapaksa’s arrival, the Singapore government clarified that he is on a private visit and has not been granted asylum. Singapore generally does not grant requests for asylum” Singapore’s foreign ministry was quoted as saying by news agency AFP. According to the news agency, Rajapaksa is expected to stay in Singapore for some time, before potentially moving to the United Arab Emirates.