Gotabaya resigns | What’s next for Sri Lanka? | Ep #70

Worldview with Suhasini Haidar

16-07-2022 • 17 mins

Let us get up to speed with all that happened- much of it on live cameras, in a country that saw change in its highest office through the power of people taking to the streets - In the past week, those protests grew louder, and more violent. Despite much of the cabinet having stepped down as they demanded, crowds stormed the Presidential palace, burned down PM Ranil Wickremesinghe’s private home. The visuals were unprecedented for a country with high security and very heavy handed security forces.... as the protestors occupied the president's rooms, the gym, even the swimming pool. - On Monday, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who had tried to leave the country over the weekend but failed, flew to the Maldives- and after protests followed him there, took a commercial, Saudia flight to Singapore. The Singapore Foreign Ministry said he had been allowed entry as a visitor, not granted asylum. His brother former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa has not left the country, and is overseeing party strategy, but other members of the family are reportedly trying to leave as well. - On Thursday, after missing several deadlines, Gotabaya finally resigned, nominating Wickremesinghe as the Acting President, pending an election in Parliament. The SLPP is still the largest party in parliament- and will be important in an all-party government likely to follow. - The Presidential election is expected in the next week- where Wickremesinghe, Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, as well as former Minister Dullas Alahapperuma, who could stand, are being seen three as main contenders. Read more

You Might Like

The Morning Brief
The Morning Brief
The Economic Times
ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash
ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash
Asian News International (ANI)
ThePrint
ThePrint
ThePrint
3 Things
3 Things
Express Audio
FT News Briefing
FT News Briefing
Financial Times
Top of the Morning
Top of the Morning
Mint - HT Smartcast
Economist Podcasts
Economist Podcasts
The Economist
HT Daily News Wrap
HT Daily News Wrap
Hindustan Times - HT Smartcast
Daybreak
Daybreak
The Ken
The Journal.
The Journal.
The Wall Street Journal & Gimlet
The Daily
The Daily
The New York Times
Serial
Serial
Serial Productions & The New York Times
WSJ Tech News Briefing
WSJ Tech News Briefing
The Wall Street Journal
WSJ What’s News
WSJ What’s News
The Wall Street Journal
The Signal Daily
The Signal Daily
The Core Team
Global News Podcast
Global News Podcast
BBC World Service