Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s escape to the Maldives was negotiated by the Maldivian Majlis (Parliament) Speaker and former President Mohamed Nasheed, sources in the Maldives Capital Male said. The Maldivian Government’s argument is that Rajapaksa is still the President of Sri Lanka, and that he hasn’t resigned or handed over his powers to a successor. Therefore, if he wanted to travel to the Maldives, it could not have been denied, sources said.
The Maldives Government has not yet officially commented on his presence in the island nation. However, the Maldives National Party (MNP) leader and former Maldives Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon said it was very disappointing that the Maldivian Government did not care about the sentiments of the Sri Lankan people.
“My party will move a motion in parliament seeking
the Government’s explanation in the matter,” Maumoon, the daughter of former Maldives president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, told PTI.