Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has departed the Maldives on a Saudi Airlines flight heading for Singapore.
A day earlier, the president fled to the Maldives amid widespread protests over Sri Lanka’s economic problems.
It is unclear whether Mr. Rajapaksa will stay in Singapore or merely transit through the country.
He had earlier promised to retire by Wednesday, but a formal resignation has not yet been submitted.
The leader, who enjoys immunity from prosecution as president, is thought to have desired to depart Sri Lanka before resigning to avoid arrest by the incoming administration.
It comes after acting president Ranil Wickremesinghe enforced the second day of curfew on Thursday. Until subdue protests, his government imposed a curfew from 12 (0630 GMT) to 05:00 on Friday.
President Rajapaksa nominated Mr. Wickremesinghe as interim president when he fled the country on a military plane Tuesday night, but the decision sparked additional protests demanding that the prime minister also resign.
During Wednesday’s protests, which took place in and around Colombo’s major monuments, including the prime minister’s office, 85 people were hurt.
Who will allow him to stay?
Tessa Wong, Asia Digital Reporter in Colombo, provides an analysis.
Many are curious as to where Gotabaya Rajapaksa intends to flee next. But perhaps the more crucial question is who will allow him to remain. It is unknown whether Singapore is a stopover en route to the Middle East if he plans to stay on the Southeast Asian island, and for how long. According to insiders, however, it is unlikely that the Singaporean government will grant him a lengthy stay.
The wealthy city-state has hosted controversial personalities such as Thein Sein, Robert Mugabe, and Kim Jong-un in the past.
But long-term harboring of Mr. Rajapaksa is likely to be a line they will not cross.
This is a man accused of war crimes who are currently under great worldwide investigation, having fled his nation as its economy collapses. It would not be worth it for Singapore to endure worldwide condemnation. Authorities would also have to fight with a Singaporean populace that has become increasingly vocal and aggressive in recent years.
A major portion of the country’s Tamil population is of Sri Lankan descent. As defense secretary, Mr. Rajapaksa is accused of facilitating the murder of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians during the civil conflict. His presence will infuriate many Tamil Singaporeans, thereby disrupting the tranquillity that authorities have diligently established.
In short, the longer Mr. Rajapaksa is in Singapore, the greater the administrative headaches will be. And it may be an annoyance they would prefer to avoid.
Since April, major demonstrations against the country’s economic problems have escalated over the past week, with protestors storming the presidential palace on Saturday and setting fire to the private residence of the prime minister.
Police shot tear gas at demonstrators who attempted to break down the gates of the prime minister’s office in Colombo on Wednesday before they were able to enter. They later went to parliament but were denied entry.
Sri Lanka’s economy has collapsed, and the cost of food, fuel, and other essentials has skyrocketed for regular citizens.
Many blame the Rajapaksa administration’s mismanagement of the situation on Mr. Wickremesinghe, who became prime minister in May.
The departure of the president has created a dangerous power vacuum in Sri Lanka, which need a functioning administration to help it recover from its financial devastation.
Politicians from other parties have been discussing the formation of a new unity government, but there is no indication that they are close to reaching an agreement. It is also unclear if the public will accept what they produce.
The constitution stipulates that the prime minister should assume the presidency in the event of the president’s resignation; but, Mr. Rajapaksa’s failure to do so has created issues about the legitimacy of the acting president’s grasp on power.
