Reports say Gotabaya Rajapaksa likely to return to Sri Lanka by early September

Sri Lanka’s former President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, is all set to return to Sri Lanka in the first week of September, days after fleeing to Thailand.

The Daily Mirror reported, citing a source, that Rajapaksa is likely to return either on September 2 or 3. Rajapaksa fled Sri Lanka in the early hours of 13 July after massive protests erupted in Colombo and demonstrators angry with the country’s economic crisis stormed his official residence and office. He resigned as president after reaching Singapore, where he was issued a 14-day visit pass.

On 11 August, the former President reached Thailand following a request from the Sri Lankan government. Tight security has been provided to his Mirihana residence. However, Thailand has denied reports that the former Sri Lankan president has sought asylum in the country. The Thai Foreign Ministry said it received a request from Rajapaksa to visit the country with the intention of seeking political asylum. Earlier, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) requested President Ranil Wickremesinghe to make arrangements for the former president to return. Subsequently, the president is reported to have contacted Rajapaksa to discuss arrangements for his return to the country.

Gotabaya’s brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, led The SLPP put forward the demand in a meeting with the incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe today and requested the President to ensure Gotabaya Rajapaksa is given safe passage into Sri Lanka, the Colombo Gazette reported. Meanwhile, the national organiser of the SLPP and former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa assured President Wickremesinghe of the fullest support of the SLPP to address the current crisis in the country. Earlier, former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia, Udayanga Weeratunga, who is also related to Gotabaya, hinted that Rajapaksa would return to the country on 24 August, the Daily Mirror said. After fleeing his island nation last month amid mass protests, Rajapaksa was seeking temporary shelter in the second Southeast Asian country, after the Maldives that Rajapaksa was seeking temporary shelter in.