Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa left the Maldives for Singapore a short while ago, Maldivian media reported. 

According to the reports, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is headed to Singapore via Saudi Airlines flight (SV788).

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives last morning after public protests calling for his resignation over the country’s economic crisis. 

Following a mass public uprising on the 09th of July, the President announced that he will tender his resignation on the 13th of July.

However, early on 13th July, he fled to the Maldives and despite various assurances to the Speaker of Sri Lanka’s Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on tendering his resignation, he is yet to do so. 

Instead, Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the acting President and also informed the Speaker that he will tender his resignation after arriving in Singapore, where he has allegedly claimed asylum. 

Despite, the Sri Lankan President having been expected to depart for Singapore last evening, he had allegedly refused to board the plane over security concerns and had requested for a private aircraft to travel to Singapore. 

Maldivian media has now reported that the President has departed the Maldives in a Saudi Airlines flight (SV788) bound to Singapore. 

Sri Lanka is in political turmoil as authorities and public activists are awaiting the official resignation of the President to proceed with the future course of action for the country. (NewsWire)