After Maldives, Sri Lanka's Gotabaya Rajapaksa makes his way to Singapore; next destination to be Jeddah

New Delhi: Embattled Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has boarded a Saudi Airlines plane today that will take him to Singapore and then to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, news agency AP citied Maldives government officials as saying.

Rajapakasa, who has been facing the wrath of angry protestors demanding his resignation, fled from Sri Lanka late on Tuesday night and arrived in the Maldives on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Bahrain have asked its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Sri Lanka due to the surging protests in the island nation following a massive economic collapse.

According to a report by Daily Mirror, Rajapaksa, his wife Ioma Rajapaksa and two bodyguards were to take a Singapore Airline last night but due to security concerns, they could not board the flight and had to stay back.

Later, Rajapaksa requested a private jet to for Singapore and had discussions with the Maldives authorities late last night.

The report further claimed that Rajapaksa is expected to announce his resignation from the post of Sri Lanka president after he reaches Singapore.

Don't Miss: Sri Lanka's Gotabaya Rajapaksa on the run: After Maldives, next destination Singapore

Rajapaksa, 73-year-old Sri Lankan leader, had promised to resign on Wednesday, 13 July. Instead, he appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the acting President hours after he fled the country, leading to fresh protests in the island nation.

Sources to CNN-News18 had on Wednesday said that Rajapaksa has been speaking to Singapore authorities who have given the go-ahead to the Sri Lanka president to shift to their country from the Maldives.

As per reports in local media in the Maldives, Rajapaksa cannot stay in the country for too long.

Rajapaksa has been enjoying the immunity from prosecution since he is still the President of Sri Lanka. By escaping from the island nation, he is also trying to avoid the possibility of arrest by the new government.

Sri Lanka Speaker says has an option to remove Rajapaksa if he doesn't resign

Sri Lankan Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Thursday informed Rajapaksa that he should submit his letter of resignation as the President at the earliest, else he will consider other options to remove him from the office.

Abeywardena said that he informed Rajapaksa to submit his letter of resignation as soon as possible, citing that he too is under pressure.

With a population of 22 million people, Sri Lanka is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, leaving millions struggling to purchase food, medicine, fuel and other essentials. Wickremesinghe last week declared Sri Lanka a bankrupt nation.

With inputs from agencies

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