Indunil Yapa said the speaker will make an official announcement on Friday. THIS IS AN UPDATE UPDATE. Previous AP story follows below. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lankan protesters retreated from government buildings they had seized and military troops stepped up security at parliament Thursday, bringing a tenuous calm to a country in both economic collapse and political limbo. Embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled a day earlier under pressure from protesters furious over the island nation’s economic collapse. But he failed to resign as promised – and further angered the crowds by making his prime minister leader. Protesters want both the men and a unity government to deal with an economic disaster that has caused widespread shortages of food, fuel and other essentials. But with a fractured opposition and confusion over who was in charge, a solution seemed no closer after Rajapaksa’s departure. Potentially adding to the turmoil, the president was on the move again on Thursday, flying from the Maldives to Singapore. Protesters accuse Rajapaksa and his powerful political family of siphoning money from state coffers for years and his administration of hastening the country’s collapse by mismanaging the economy. The family has denied allegations of corruption, but Rajapaksa has acknowledged that some of his policies contributed to the collapse. Months of protests culminated at the weekend, when protesters stormed the president’s home and office and the official residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. On Wednesday, they occupied Wickremesinghe’s office. Images of protesters inside the buildings — lounging on plush sofas and beds, posing in officials’ offices and touring the luxurious surroundings — have captured the world’s attention. They initially vowed to hold those positions until a new government was formed, but the movement changed tack on Thursday, apparently worried that any escalation of violence could undermine their message after clashes the night before outside Parliament that left dozens injured . “The fear was that there could be a crack in the confidence they had about the struggle,” said Nuzly, a protest leader who goes by only one name. “We’ve shown what people power can do, but that doesn’t mean we have to take over these places.” Devinda Kodagode, another protest leader, told The Associated Press they planned to evacuate official buildings after the parliament speaker said he was exploring legal options for the country since Rajapaksa left without submitting his resignation letter as promised. Protesters left the prime minister’s residence and the president’s residence, where some moved a red carpet that had been rolled back into place. Others held a press conference to announce that they were also leaving the prime minister’s office. Visaka Jayaweer, an artist, described the bittersweet moment of closing the gate to the presidential palace after the crowd was cleared. “His taking up residence was a great moment, it showed how much we wanted him to step down. But it’s also a big relief” to leave, he said. “We were worried that people would take part – many were angry at the luxury he was living when he was out trying to buy milk for their children.” The country remains a powder keg, and the military warned on Thursday that it has powers to respond in the event of chaos – a message some found troubling. Soldiers in green military uniforms and camouflage vests arrived in armored personnel carriers to reinforce barricades around Parliament, while protesters vowed to continue gathering outside the president’s office until a new government is formed. The government announced a new curfew in the capital Colombo and its suburbs from the afternoon until 5am on Friday. It’s unclear what effect a curfew would have: Some ignored an earlier one, but many others rarely leave their homes anyway because of a lack of fuel. Rajapaksa and his wife left Sri Lanka early Wednesday for the Maldives, slipping away in the middle of the night on an air force plane. On Thursday, he went to Singapore, according to the city-state’s foreign ministry. He said he had not applied for asylum. Since Sri Lankan presidents are protected from arrest while in office, it is possible that Rajapaksa wanted to plan his departure while he still had constitutional immunity and access to a military plane. The political stalemate threatens to worsen the bankrupt nation’s economic collapse, as the absence of an alternative government could delay an expected bailout from the International Monetary Fund. In the meantime, the country relies on aid from India and China. Shortages of basic necessities have sown despair among Sri Lanka’s 22 million people. The country’s rapid decline was all the more shocking because, before the recent crisis, the economy had grown, with a growing, comfortable middle class. It was not immediately clear whether Singapore would be Rajapaksa’s final destination, but he has previously sought medical care there, including heart surgery. Assuming Rajapaksa steps down as promised, Sri Lankan lawmakers agreed to elect a new president from among themselves on July 20 to serve out the remainder of Rajapaksa’s term, which ends in 2024. That person could potentially to appoint a new prime minister, who will have to be approved by the Parliament.
The story has been updated to show that the Maldivian official who said the president was heading to Saudi Arabia later said he could not confirm that.
Associated Press writer Bharatha Mallawarachi contributed to this report.
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