Lagatar24 Desk
Colombo, Sept 3: After ex-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s return to Sri Lanka, the current government gave him an official apartment and protection, according to the top officials. Rajapaksa had fled the country in July due to economic upheaval after Colombo was rocked by widespread rallies and angry protesters broke into his official apartment and office.
He resigned as the President after reaching Singapore and went to Thailand afterwards.
Before being taken to the residence designated by the administration, the former president had a meeting with a group of politicians and members of the ruling party early on Saturday morning at the airport.
Sri Lanka, which is going through its greatest economic crisis since gaining independence, and the International Monetary Fund this week came to an agreement at the staff level for a loan of $2.9 billion.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa arrived back in the nation on Friday, seven weeks after fleeing the country amid the island’s worst-ever economic crisis.
An airport official claimed that Rajapaksa was showered with flowers by a receiving party of ministers and MPs as he stepped off the plane at the main international airport, demonstrating his continued power in the Indian Ocean country that opponents claim he brought to ruin.
“There was a rush of government politicians to garland him as he came out of the aircraft,” the official told AFP.
