Presidential election in Sri Lanka on July 20
Colombo, There is speculation about whether Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has fled the country or is still in the country. Ordinary citizens occupied Rashtrapati Bhavan and no one knows where the President is. Meanwhile, on Monday, National Assembly Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abhaywardene said that the President has fled the country. Later, when there was a dispute on this, he retracted from his point. He dismissed speculation that he would leave the country, saying that Gotabaya was in the country and he would resign on July 13.
He had said in an interview that Gotabaya had fled the country. According to reports, he had said in an interview to the BBC that the President is in a neighboring country and will return on the 13th. When the controversy got bigger on this, he said that the President is in the country. He said that the first statement was given by mistake. Meanwhile, the dates for the presidential elections in Sri Lanka have been announced. The new President will be elected in the country on July 20. The filing of nominations will be done till July 18.
Earlier, central bank governor Nandlal Veerasinghe had warned that if the country does not achieve political stability, then there may be a delay in getting the bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, speculations are rife about Gotabaya as news of his being brought to an international airport in the country was received on Monday. Defense sources told an international news agency that Gotabaya was brought to Katunyake airport. Only then the discussion of his fleeing to another country intensified. Earlier there was news that the Navy had hidden them somewhere.