Sri Lanka Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa faces public outcry in Maldives; set to fly to Dubai

Amid the economic turmoil in Sri Lanka, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled to the Maldives with his wife and other family members on Wednesday, has been facing a massive public outcry in Male too. According to a report by Newswire, a majority of the protestors belong to the island nations and were opposing Rajapaksa's entry into the South Asian country.  The media reports claimed that the President, currently hiding at a resort in the Maldives amid threats of being mobbed by angry protestors.
They demanded that Gotabaya Rajapaksa be sent back to Sri Lanka.

The television footage played in Maldivian media showed protesters holding the Sri Lankan national flag and placards with anti-government slogans. Like Sri Lanka, the protestors in the Maldives also demanded a formal resignation of Rajapaksa who fled the country without tendering his resignation. Also, he appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Acting President.
Citing the Maldivian media, News Wire reported that Rajapaksa is set to leave for either Singapore or Dubai, UAE from the Maldives.

Why Sri Lanka is facing massive public outrage?

It is worth noting here that the island nation has been experiencing its worst economic crisis in history. The country has huge debt obligations and dwindling foreign reserves, and has been struggling to pay for imports, causing a shortage of essentials. Citizens were forced to stand in long queues for fuel, cooking gas, and medicines. This leads to massive anger among the people who have been facing an acute shortage of almost all basic requirements for the last six months. On July 9, millions of people amassed and attacked the official residence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. In the television footage, it showed hundreds of people inside the well-fortified house and on the grounds outside, some taking a dip in the garden pool and others in a jubilant mood. This triggered Gotabaya to flee the country amid security threats from the mob.

Acting President imposes nationwide curfew  

On Wednesday, he left the country along with his wife and several other family members and reached the Maldives without resigning from his post. Also, before fleeing the island nation, he appointed the former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Acting President of the country. Amid this chaotic situation, Wickremesinghe imposed a nationwide curfew until Thursday morning, despite strong resistance from the Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa. He said that the PM cannot exercise the powers of the President, and cannot declare a curfew or a state of emergency. "PM becomes acting President only if the President appoints him as such, or if the office of President is vacant, or if the CJ in consultation with the Speaker forms the view that the President is unable to act," Premadasa tweeted.

Image: AP/Facebook/Gotabaya Rajapaksa