A source in the Sri Lankan Defense Ministry told AFP that Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled his official residence in Colombo on Saturday, minutes before he was overrun by angry protesters.
And the private Serasa TV channel showed pictures of angry demonstrators storming the presidential palace, which the army has protected tightly until now.
The same defense source indicated that Gotabaya Rajapaksa is still President of Sri Lanka and is now under the protection of the armed forces in a secret location.
Tens of thousands had previously participated in a demonstration to demand Rajapaksa’s resignation. Taking responsibility for the economic crisis An unprecedented event hit Sri Lanka and caused rampant inflation, and Serious fuel shortageElectricity and food.
On Friday, law enforcement officials put up barricades to try to discourage protesters from taking to the street, but the measure was lifted after opposition parties, human rights activists and the bar association threatened to sue the police chief.
The demonstrators completely ignored the police barrier, some of them even forced the railway authorities to take them by train to the capital, Colombo, to participate in the protests, the same sources told AFP.
The Prime Minister calls an emergency meeting
after escaping from Gotabaya Rajapaksa From his official residence in Colombo, The Sri Lankan prime minister held an emergency meeting on Saturday, according to AFP. Ranil Wickremesinghe called on the government to discuss a “quick solution” to the ongoing political crisis.
The office of the Chief of the Executive Branch, which is seen in the next order if the president resigns, said it invited leaders of political parties to join the meeting, and also called an emergency meeting of Parliament to discuss the crisis.
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