Sri Lanka's Ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Returns Home, Faces Arrest Calls

The ousted President of Sri Lanka, Gotabay Rajapaksa, who fled the country in the second week of July this year, returned home in the early hours of Saturday (September 3). He left the island nation amid mass protests and demonstrations staged against his government as it failed to pull back the country from the worst economic conditions.

According to officials, Rajapksa returned from Bangkok through Colombo's Bandaranaike International airport. After his arrival, the lawmakers from his party, Sri Lanka Pudujana Peramuna, welcomed him with a warm gesture. He headed towards a government-owned house through a motorcade guarded by armed soldiers, reported Times Now.

Fled Country Amid Mass Protests

After facing a mass protest, Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives on July 9 from his presidential office in a military jet provided by the government. He landed in Singapore from the Maldives, where he tendered his resignation from the post of President of Sri Lanka. Two weeks later, he moved to Thailand on a diplomatic visa. After a month of exploring different countries, the former presidents have reached back home, but this time under tight security.

After the resignation from Rajapaksa, the Lankan parliament elected Ranil Wickremesinghe as the island nation's new President. He will continue serving as President for the remaining term of Rajapaksa, which will conclude in November 2024.

Sri Lanka IMF Bailout

After going through the worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948, the country requested several monetary help from foreign countries and organisations. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday (September 1) approved a $2.9 billion loan to Sri Lanka over four years. According to economic experts, the IMF bailout will assist the island nation in recovering slowly from its toppled economy.

International Monetary Fund (#IMF) agrees to provide 2.9 billion dollar extended facility to Sri Lanka for a four-year period, with conditions on debt restructuring and action on corruption.

— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) September 2, 2022

The country has been going through the worst economic crisis since last year. The people of Sri Lanka witnessed high inflation and a shortage of essential items like fuel, cooking gas, food items, and medicine.

Soon after the economy of Sri Lanka toppled, India rushed with humanitarian aid in the form of different consignments consisting of food and fuel. The Ministry of External Affairs also informed that India had assisted the crisis-hit nation with $3.8 billion for its speedy recovery.

Also Read: Water In Bengaluru Lakes Fail Quality Test; Pollution Board Flags It Unfit For Drinking, Bathing