The former Sri Lankan president said he did “everything possible” to avoid the crisis

Former President of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya RajapaksaHe said he did “Everything is possible” to avoid the economic crisis affecting his countryHowever, the epidemic and mismanagement before his term nullified his efforts, according to the resignation letter he read in Parliament today.

He said in a letter read by Parliament Secretary Dhammika Dasanayake, which he sent from Singapore, where they fled this week amid strong protests.

“The closures in 2020 and 2021 eroded foreign exchange reserves (…) did everything possible for the country”

In his brief message, Rajapaksa emphasized that foreign exchange reserves were already low when he took office in November 2019, and that the COVID-19 pandemic had devastated the economy of this southern Indian island of 22 million people.

Official numbers show it Sri Lanka had reserves of $7.5 billion in 2019And they were barely a million when they left the country. The country defaulted on its $51 billion foreign debt in April.

Sri Lanka’s lawmakers are due to meet on Wednesday to elect a successor to Rajapaksa, who fled after protesters stormed his residence on July 9.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe took office yesterday as interim president and was listed as a favourite, although he has also been the target of protesters’ anger.

The opposition leader, Sajit Premadasa, has announced that he will run to lead the Asian island, which in recent months has been experiencing the worst economic and social crisis since its independence from the United Kingdom in 1948.

The island is running out of fuel, so the government has ordered the closure of non-essential offices and schools to reduce transportation

“I am running for president (…) Although it is an uphill struggle, I am convinced that the truth will prevail,” Premadasa wrote on his Twitter account.

The island is running out of fuel, so the government has ordered the closure of non-essential offices and schools to reduce transportation.

In the capital Colombo, protesters this week vacated several public buildings they had invaded in recent days after Wickremesinghe ordered security forces to restore order and declare a state of emergency.