Abeywardenena received an email with Rajapaksa’s resignation, the speaker’s office confirmed to CNN on Thursday, but added that “we cannot accept such an email at face value.” “Its legitimacy needs to be ascertained. It has been communicated to the relevant authorities to ascertain the same,” the office said. “Once we have official confirmation and it has been legally verified, we hope to make a statement on this tomorrow [Friday] morning.” Abeywardenena’s office added that it expects to receive a hard copy of the letter, but this will take longer as it will be sent from Singapore. According to a senior government source, the letter was emailed after Rajapaksa arrived in Singapore. The source spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details that have not been publicly shared by officials. Singapore said Rajapaksa had been allowed to enter the country on a “private visit” but had neither sought nor been granted asylum. “It has been confirmed that Mr Rajapaksa has been granted entry into Singapore for a private visit. He has neither applied for asylum nor been granted asylum. Singapore generally does not accept asylum applications,” Singapore’s foreign ministry said in a statement. . Rajapaksa pledged to step down over the weekend after angry protesters stormed his official residence, swam in his swimming pool and demanded an end to his family’s dynasty. He left the Maldivian capital Male on a “Saudi Arabian flight,” a senior security source in Colombo told CNN. CNN believes the source was referring to Saudia Flight 788, which departed Male at 11:30 a.m., according to the source. The flight landed in Singapore at 7:17 p.m. local time on Thursday, according to Changi Airport’s website. CNN has reached out to Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Arabian airline, but has not heard back. Rajapaksa was in the Maldives for a day after leaving Sri Lanka early Wednesday — the same day he announced he would step down. But the absence of a formal letter of resignation has raised questions about the intentions of an apparently self-imposed leader who appointed the prime minister as acting president after fleeing his island nation. Shortly after Rajapaksa left the country, protesters stormed the office of Deputy President Ranil Wickremesinghe to demand his removal. Wickremesinghe responded by calling for a nationwide overnight curfew. On Thursday, Wickremesinghe granted Sri Lanka’s armed forces special arrest powers and ordered them to “use force” if necessary to break up protests across the nation, military spokeswoman Brigadier General Nilantha Premaratne said in a televised address. “In view of the escalating acts of violence, protesters who intend to harm the armed forces or public property are earnestly urged to cease all forms of violence immediately or be prepared to face consequences, as members of the armed forces are legally empowered to exercise violence. ” said Premaratne. Sri Lanka’s parliament will not reconvene until Rajapaksa formally submits his letter of resignation, Speaker Abeywardena said on Thursday. Parliament was previously expected to begin the process of choosing a new president on Saturday, with the goal of voting for a new leader by July 20. That timeline is now on hold until Rajapaksa officially leaves office. Many protesters have vowed to continue protesting until both men step down. By Thursday morning, as questions swirled about Sri Lanka’s future, a calm had settled on the streets of the commercial capital, Colombo. A lawyer representing the People’s Protest Movement said Thursday that all the occupied buildings, except for the Presidential Secretariat, would be handed back to the authorities. “We want to confirm that this is a peaceful protest and we have no intention of resorting to any form of violence,” Swasthika Arulingam told reporters. “This has always been and will continue to be a peaceful movement.” But everywhere there are signs that the country remains on a knife’s edge. Amid extreme fuel shortages, abandoned vehicles line the roads near gas stations. People can no longer drive to work, so they cycle. Some have fallen asleep in their cars. The Sri Lankan police force reported that one police officer was seriously injured during the protests and was being treated in hospital. A sergeant had also been injured, he added.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday he was following events in Sri Lanka “very closely” and called for a “peaceful and democratic transition.” “It is important to address the root causes of the conflict and the grievances of the protesters,” he tweeted. “I urge all party leaders to embrace the spirit of compromise for a peaceful and democratic transition.” Rukshana Rizwie in Colombo, Sri Lanka contributed to this report.