Sri Lankan Supreme Court prevents Mahinda, Basil Rajapaksa from leaving country

Colombo [Sri Lanka], July 15 (ANI): The Sri Lankan Supreme Court has issued an interim order that prevented former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa from leaving the country without the court's permission until July 28.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday was sworn in as the interim President after Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena accepted the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the Acting President before Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, Daily Mirror reported citing Prime Minister's Media Division. Wickremesinghe was appointed as the acting President by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on July 13 after the latter fled to the Maldives due to the massive protests demanding his resignation.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa submitted his resignation letter Thursday after arriving in Singapore, officially vacating the post of President. Parliament Speaker Abeywardena told ANI, "Yes, the resignation (of President) has been accepted, the legal process will follow... Members will be invited tomorrow (to elect a President),"
Addressing the presser, Abeywardena said that from July 14, the President has legally resigned from his legal duties and responsibilities. Abeywardena said that the President will be selected according to the provisions of the Special Provisions Act No. 2 of 1981 and Article 40 of the Constitution.
"It is my intention to complete this procedure successfully and speedily. As the oldest democracy in the South Asian region holding democratic traditions sacred, completing this process in a transparent and democratic manner would be a milestone not only in the history of Sri Lanka but also in the democratic history of the world," the Speaker added.
Rajapaksa who flew from the Maldives arrived in Singapore on board a Saudia Airlines flight on Thursday evening, media reports said. (ANI)