Sri Lanka’s Rajapaksa regime had the “failings of abusive political leaders around the world” wrote The Observer in its editorial this week, as it highlighted the island’s “long road to recovery”.

Read the full text of the editorial here.

See extracts below.

Sri Lanka’s acting president Ranil Wickremesinghe has declared yet another state of emergency, as lawmakers prepare to vote for a new head of state this week.

For the first time, the secretary general of Sri Lanka’s parliament, Dhammika Dasanayake, read aloud former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation letter in which he claimed that he “took all possible steps” to prevent the crisis and did his “utmost” for the country.

 

In a video published on YouTube, Sinhala Buddhist monk Kirulapona Dhammawijaya blames the protesters for the downfall of the Rajapaksa, claiming that they have not only destroyed the rule of Sinhala Buddhism in the country.

Singapore authorities have told Sri Lanka’s former President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, that they would not extend his leave beyond the 15 days they had initially granted.

The announcement follows Rajapaksa’s resignation on Thursday whilst in exile. The disgraced former President took flight over the weekend amidst mass protest in Colombo. Without diplomatic immunity, he may face prosecution for numerous crimes, including that of genocide.

Singapore’s Foreign Ministry released a statement moments after Gotabaya Rajapaksa reportedly landed, claiming that Rajapaksa was on a “private visit”.

Amidst Sri Lanka’s ongoing crisis, fractures emerge within Sri Lanka’s governing party as chairman of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Prof. G.L Peiris, rebuke’s the general secretary’s claim that the SLPP would support Ranil Wickremesinghe’s bid for the Presidency.

In a letter to the general secretary, Sagara Kariyawasam, he asked:

Speaking to the Tamil Guardian in New York last week, Tamil civil society leader and human rights activist, Velan Swamigal reiterated his call to the international community and India to support a referendum in Tamil Eelam, so that Tamils on the island could determine their own political future.

As his first official visit as Sri Lanka’s Acting President, Ranil Wickremesinghe visited an army hospital in Narahenpita, Colombo where he met with two dozen soldiers injured during the protests in the city’s capital.

<p>Tamil participation in the Sri Lankan anti-government protests, known in Sinhalese as the 'Aragalaya', has been low as the movement has failed to take up their demands and is still dominated by Sinhala-Buddhist nationalism, Tamil Solidarity has said.</p> <p>The UK-based left-wing group has put forward the following demands to the movement:</p> <ul> <li>Rajapaksa’s family committed heinous crimes against all communities. They are also responsible for war crimes committed against the Tamils. This family and their allies in the military high command who stand accused of war crimes should be brought to justice.</li>

A formerly staunch Rajapaksa ally, Dullas Alahapperuma has declared his intention to run for president of Sri Lanka as Sinhala politicians have begun announcing their bids following the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

We take a look at Dullas Alahapperuma’s record.