Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - According to two people acquainted with the situation, Singapore has given former Sri Lankan president Go...
 |
| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - According to two people acquainted with the situation, Singapore has given former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa permission to stay in the island nation for an additional 14 days.
A short-term stay pass given to Rajapaksa when he visited on a private visit two weeks ago has been extended, according to two different individuals in Singapore and Colombo who both had knowledge of the situation.
Rajapaksa can now remain in Singapore through August 11.
An inquiry for confirmation of the extension of stay was not answered by Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.
On July 14, Rajapaksa arrived in Singapore, having fled his troubled nation via the Maldives the day before due to a popular revolt that compelled him to step down as president.
The Singaporean government claimed he was there on a private visit and had not received refuge.
Speaking on behalf of the Sri Lankan government, Bandula Gunwardena said on Tuesday, "It is my opinion that he may at some point consider returning to Sri Lanka, but there is no specific political or other stance on this."
Rajapaksa left the nation and resigned, and six-time prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected president after winning a parliamentary vote.
The 22 million-person nation has been ravaged by a terrible economic crisis for months, leading to shortages of food, fuel, and other essentials as foreign exchange reserves needed for imports of these items fell to historic lows.
