Editor's Pick: Gotabaya ‘stuck’ as U.S. ‘rejects’ visa request

Amid massive public protests, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa suffered another setback on Tuesday when the U.S. rejected his request for a visa. This was the latest attempt of the beleaguered leader’s “attempts to flee” the country after promising to quit office. Later, in the early hours of Wednesday, Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa reached the nearby Maldives. Mr. Gotabaya, formerly a dual citizen of Sri Lanka and the U.S., gave up his American citizenship ahead of the 2019 election because of a law that barred foreign nationals from running for the presidency. He won the election with a thumping majority, but became, arguably, the country’s most unpopular leader mid-term, amid a severe economic meltdown that is stifling citizens. His reported attempt to leave the island follows his decision to resign, prompted by citizens’ protest on Saturday when a wave of protesters stormed the Presidential Secretariat and residence in Colombo in a dramatic escalation of months-long protests demanding that Mr. Gotabaya “go home”. He was evacuated from his official residence hours before the incident, officials said. However, his whereabouts remain unknown since. In a statement on Sunday, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung called upon all parties “to cooperate to achieve a peaceful, democratic transition of power”. It signalled a clear shift from the U.S. position just a month ago, when President Gotabaya appointed Ranil Wickremesinghe as Premier, disregarding protests, to prolong the life of his government that a majority of Sri Lankans had deemed untenable. Mr. Gotabaya is expected to resign officially on Wednesday, according to sources in Colombo. Earlier on Monday, Mr. Gotabaya was unable to depart, following a standoff with immigration staff at the airport, who resisted his attempt to leave for a safe location abroad, reportedly a Gulf capital. Immigration officials suspended their services in the VIP suite. Mr. Gotabaya’s youngest brother Basil Rajapaksa was also prevented from leaving the capital after immigration staff refused to stamp his papers. On the other hand, older brother Mahinda Rajapaksa, two-time President and former Prime Minister is finding it hard to flee Sri Lanka after a motion was filed in Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court on Tuesday seeking a travel ban on those “responsible” for the economic crisis in Sri Lanka. The island nation of 22 million people has suffered months of lengthy blackouts, acute food and fuel shortages and inflation for months now. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Head over to our newsletter subscription page to sign up for Editor‘s Pick and more. 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This was the latest attempt of the beleaguered leader’s “attempts to flee” the country after promising to quit office. Later, in the early hours of Wednesday, [Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa reached the nearby Maldives](. Mr. Gotabaya, formerly a dual citizen of Sri Lanka and the U.S., gave up his American citizenship ahead of the 2019 election because of a law that barred foreign nationals from running for the presidency. He won the election with a thumping majority, but became, arguably, the country’s most unpopular leader mid-term, amid a severe economic meltdown that is stifling citizens. His reported attempt to leave the island follows his decision to resign, prompted by citizens’ protest on Saturday when a wave of protesters stormed the Presidential Secretariat and residence in Colombo in a dramatic escalation of months-long protests demanding that Mr. Gotabaya “go home”. He was evacuated from his official residence hours before the incident, officials said. However, his whereabouts remain unknown since. In a statement on Sunday, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung called upon all parties “to cooperate to achieve a peaceful, democratic transition of power”. It signalled a clear shift from the U.S. position just a month ago, when President Gotabaya appointed Ranil Wickremesinghe as Premier, disregarding protests, to prolong the life of his government that a majority of Sri Lankans had deemed untenable. Mr. Gotabaya is expected to resign officially on Wednesday, according to sources in Colombo. Earlier on Monday, Mr. Gotabaya was unable to depart, following a standoff with immigration staff at the airport, who resisted his attempt to leave for a safe location abroad, reportedly a Gulf capital. Immigration officials suspended their services in the VIP suite. Mr. Gotabaya’s youngest brother [Basil Rajapaksa was also prevented from leaving]( the capital after immigration staff refused to stamp his papers. On the other hand, older brother Mahinda Rajapaksa, two-time President and former Prime Minister is finding it hard to flee Sri Lanka after a motion was filed in Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court on Tuesday seeking a travel ban on those “responsible” for the economic crisis in Sri Lanka. The island nation of 22 million people has suffered months of lengthy blackouts, acute food and fuel shortages and inflation for months now. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? 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