Sri Lankan president flees country
.jpg "Sri Lankan president flees country")
President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa fled the country on Wednesday after a series of violent protests over the economic crisis in Sri Lanka.
The departure of President Gotabaya Raja Paksha on a military plane has ended the rule of a family that ruled the country for decades.
President Gotabaya has arrived in Male, Maldives. He was thought to be in hiding after protesters stormed the presidential palace in recent days.
According to media reports, his brother, former finance minister Basil Raja Paksha, had also left the country. His attempt to leave the country was thwarted 24 hours ago, but it is learned that he is now leaving for the United States.
Former Finance Minister Basil Raja Pakse, who is also the brother of the Sri Lankan president, has fled the country and is likely to return to the United States. He also holds US citizenship.
On the other hand, ''in Sri Lanka the Indian High Commission has denied reports that the Sri Lankan president helped him flee the country.''
''A statement issued by in Sri Lanka, the Indian High Commission said that reports of Indian facilitation in the President's escape from the country were baseless''.
High Commission categorically denies baseless and speculative media reports that India facilitated the recent reported travel of @gotabayar @Realbrajapaksa out of Sri Lanka. It is reiterated that India will continue to support the people of Sri Lanka (1/2)
''India will continue to work with the people of Sri Lanka'', the High commission said.
Earlier, President Gutabaya Raja Paksha had promised to resign from his post on Wednesday.
''The Sri Lankan blame their administration for the country's worst economic crisis''.
For the past several months, the country has been facing severe load shedding on a daily basis, as well as difficulties in getting basic necessities such as fuel, food and medicine to the people.
Expected political crisis in Sri Lanka
President Gotabaya was known as an authoritarian leader who was exempt from any legal action as long as he was president.
The reason for fleeing the country before resigning is believed to be to avoid any arrest attempt by the new government.
The president's departure is expected to create a political vacuum in Sri Lanka at a time when the country needs a functioning government that can begin work to lift the country out of economic difficulties.
Other political parties in the country are in talks to form a new coalition government, but so far no agreement has been reached between them. It is also not clear whether the people agree with the decision of the political parties.
Under the country's constitution, if the president resigns, he will be replaced by a prime minister. In Sri Lanka, the prime minister is considered the vice president in parliament.
But the current Prime Minister Vikram Singh has also become a very unpopular figure in the country.
On Saturday, angry protesters set fire to Prime Minister Vikram Singh's private residence when he and his family were not present. He later announced that he would resign to pave the way for a new coalition government, but did not give a date.
Sri Lankan constitutional experts say the speaker of the country's parliament could act as caretaker president.
But current Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abiwardana is also considered a close ally and ally of the Raja Paksha family. And it is unclear whether the transfer of power will be accepted by the people.
Whoever becomes the caretaker president of the country will have to hold elections in the next 30 days to elect a new president from among the members of the current parliament. The winner of this vote could serve the remainder of his term as president by 2024.
On Monday, Sri Lanka's main opposition leader Sajjata Primadasa told the BBC that he too could run for the presidency. But in Sri Lanka, politicians are not being trusted at the moment and they do not have public support.
Importantly, there is no clear candidate to lead the country in the protest campaign for political change in Sri Lanka.