After fleeing the presidential palace after it was stormed by protesters amid a wave of anger over the collapse of the country's economy, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa found himself stranded at Colombo airport after immigration officials refused to stamp his passport to enable him to leave the country. While several local media reports speculated that he might head to Dubai later on Monday, airport officials confirmed that four commercial planes took off after that, bound for places in the Middle East that were not on board. Sri Lanka has been suffering for months from food and fuel shortages, electricity cuts and accelerating inflation, after running out of foreign currencies necessary to import vital goods, which prompted thousands of citizens to protest.
After fleeing the presidential palace in Colombo with a navy escort Saturday, shortly before being stormed by protesters, the 73-year-old took refuge in a navy facility in the country's northeast, a senior defense official said, adding that he had been transferred to a base in Colombo. Katunayake, adjacent to the main international airport.
Hours later, the parliament speaker announced that Rajapaksa would resign on Wednesday to make way for a "peaceful transition of power".
The official explained that Rajapaksa "was flown back with his entourage to Colombo aboard two Bell-412 helicopters."
While there was no official statement from the president's office regarding his whereabouts, several local media reports speculated that he might head to Dubai later on Monday.
But four commercial planes later took off for places in the Middle East and he was not on board, airport officials said.
They added that immigration officials refuse to go to the VIP hall to stamp his passport, while Rajapaksa insists not to use public facilities.
A military source said Rajapaksa, who remains the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, has the option to leave on an Air Force plane.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office had said that Rajapaksa had formally informed him of his intention to resign, without specifying a date.
Millions of rupees in the presidential palace
Earlier on Monday, protesters handed over millions of rupees to a Sri Lankan court that Rajapaksa left when he fled his official residence, police said.
Official sources said that a suitcase full of documents was found in the luxury home.
Rajapaksa moved into the 200-year-old building after being forced to flee his private home on March 31 when protesters tried to storm it.
In the event of Rajapaksa's resignation, Wickremesinghe will automatically assume the position of acting president, until Parliament elects a representative to complete the term that ends in November 2024.