Sri Lanka's Ousted President Blames COVID For Economic Turmoil, Says 'Took All Possible Steps' To Prevent Crisis

Sri Lanka's ousted president, in his resignation, said he took "all possible steps" to avert the economic turmoil in the island nation.

What Happened: The Sri Lankan parliament accepted Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation on Friday. The secretary general of the parliament, Dhammika Dasanayake, formally read Rajapaksa's resignation letter in the parliament, Reuters reported.

In the letter, Rajapaksa said Sri Lanka's financial crisis was rooted in years of economic mismanagement that pre-dated his presidency, and the reduced tourist arrivals and remittances from foreign workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic further added to the woes of the ailing economy.

"It is my personal belief that I took all possible steps to address this crisis, including inviting parliamentarians to form an all-party or unity government," the letter said.

Rajapaksa has fled to the Maldives and then to Singapore after mass protesters stormed the Presidential Palace of Sri Lanka, demanding the president's resignation.

The Parliamentarians met on Saturday to begin the process of electing a new president. They will next meet on Tuesday to accept nominations for the post of president.

A final vote to decide the country's top leader is set to take place on Wednesday.

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Photo: Courtesy of MEAphotogallery on Flickr