Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has detailed the procedure for the election of a President when the office is vacant.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa has officially resigned as the President of Sri Lanka, Speaker of Parliament announced this morning (July 15).

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasises that an interim government should be formed for essential basic work and an election should be held in a very short time.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is still in contact with officials at technical levels within the Sri Lankan government and hopes to be able to resume discussions with higher-level officials, an IMF spokesman said on Thursday, after Sri Lanka’s president announced his resignation.

Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa handed over his resignation letter to the Speaker a few moments ago, the Speaker’s Office confirmed.

Instructions and orders have been given to the commanders of the three armed forces and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to strictly implement the law and order to establish normalcy in the country, the Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence said.

Flight SV-788 reportedly carrying Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has landed at the Changi International Airport, Singapore.

The Parliament of Sri Lanka will be summoned within three days after receiving President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation letter, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena says.

The Sri Lanka Army announces that they will have to use full force as necessary to protect public property and public life from violent people.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following the situation in Sri Lanka very closely and has urged all party leaders to “embrace the spirit of compromise” for a peaceful and democratic transition.

Former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa today (July 14) pledged before the Supreme Court through their lawyers that they will not leave the country until the Fundamental Rights petition filed against them is heard tomorrow (July 15).

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa left the Maldives for Singapore a few moments ago on plane SV 788 belonging to Saudi Airlines.

Curfew has been imposed in the Colombo administrative district in Sri Lanka with effect from 12 noon today until 5:00 AM tomorrow (July 15).

Sri Lankan Protesters have decided to withdraw from government buildings they have occupied including the President’s House, Presidential Secretariat, Temple Trees and the Office of the Prime Minister with immediate effect

Sri Lankans waited for the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday, a day after he fled to the Maldives to escape a popular uprising against an economic crisis blamed on his government’s mismanagement.

Protesters took away a T-56 firearm and two magazines containing 60 rounds of live ammunition from an army officer who was injured during unrest at the Polduwa Junction near Parliament last night (July 13), Sri Lanka Police said.