Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka President flees as citizens, soldiers revolt, invade residence over hardship

Anthony Iwuoma

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka has fled his official residence, following a revolt by thousands of citizens, who invaded his residence and demanded for his resignation.

Although some Sri Lankan military personnel were among the demonstrators who broke police barricades and entered the president’s home, Rajapaksa had been hurriedly evacuated to the Army headquarters hours before the invasion.

The angry citizens had been protesting sprawling poverty and rising cost of living and the president’s inability to stem the economic crisis.

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Video scenes showed protesters storming Mr. Rajapaksa’s office and residence in the commercial capital after breaking through security cordons erected by the police.

According to the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, NHSL, about 31 people, among whom were two police officers, were injured during the crisis and are being treated in hospital.

Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe has called an emergency meeting of party leaders.

The South Asian country, with 22 million people in population, has been confronted by decades-long economic crisis.

Bloomberg reported that Mr Rajapaksa left his official residence at about 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning, citing Mr Rajapaksa’s secretary Gamini Senarath.