Sri Lanka's ousted President Rajapaksa gets govt residence, security on return
COLOMBO - Sri Lanka's ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa was on Saturday provided with an official residence and security by the government after he returned to the country he fled in July during economic unrest, two senior officials said.
Mr Rajapaksa fled in the early hours of July 13 after massive protests engulfed Colombo and demonstrators enraged by economic devastation stormed his official residence and office.
He resigned after arriving in Singapore and later travelled to Thailand.
A Sri Lankan government spokesman and the president's office did not immediately reply to e-mails seeking comment on Mr Rajapaksa's return.
The former president met a group of ruling party members and lawmakers at the airport early on Saturday before being whisked off to the residence allocated by the government.
A senior official said Mr Rajapaksa has not indicated what his plans are.
"What he told us last night was that he needs some time, as he wasn't even allowed to step out of his room due to security reasons," one official said.
"Once he has spent some time at home, he will let us know what he wants to do," said the official, who asked not to be named.
Sri Lanka, grappling with one its worst economic crises since independence, this week reached a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund for a loan of US$2.9 billion (S$4.1 billion). - REUTERS
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