Sri Lankan president in standoff with airport staff while attempting to flee

[TexasTowelie]

Sri Lanka’s embattled president was stuck in his own country Tuesday in a humiliating standoff with airport immigration staff blocking his exit to safety abroad, official sources said Tuesday.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa has promised to resign on Wednesday and clear the way for a “peaceful transition of power” following widespread protests against him over the country’s unprecedented economic crisis.

The 73-year-old leader fled his official residence in Colombo just before tens of thousands of protesters overran it on Saturday and wanted to travel to Dubai, officials said.

As president, Rajapaksa enjoys immunity from arrest, and he is believed to want to go abroad before stepping down to avoid the possibility of being detained.

But immigration officers were refusing to go to the VIP suite to stamp his passport, while he insisted he would not go through the public facilities fearing reprisals from other airport users.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/sri-lankan-president-in-standoff-with-airport-staff-while-attempting-to-flee/ar-AAZtGsx

[tanyev]

1. Dude, that's why you suck up to the ultra-wealthy who have private jets.

[Lovie777]

2. I wonder how much money was wire transferred to Dubai? ......

Well, I think Putin will welcome him with wide arms.

[Eugene]

3. Sri Lanka declares state of emergency as president flees country

Sri Lanka declares state of emergency as president flees country (The Guardian)

The Sri Lankan president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has fled to the Maldives on a military jet hours before he was due to resign on Wednesday, following days of extraordinary scenes including his presidential palace and office being taken over by anti-government protesters.

Following his departure, the prime minister’s office said a state of emergency had been declared as protesters continued to try to storm government offices.

The airforce confirmed that Rajapaksa, his wife and two security guards boarded a military aircraft in the early hours of Wednesday morning, after he invoked executive powers to enable his escape.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/13/sri-lanka-protesters-unrest-president-gatabaya-rajapaksa-flees-quit-economy-unrest