<p>Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency on Wednesday after the president fled overseas to escape anti-government protests, as thousands of people took to the streets, again furious that he had not yet stood down.</p>.<p>President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had promised at the weekend to resign on Wednesday after escaping his official residence in Colombo just before tens of thousands of protesters overran it.</p>.<p>As president, Rajapaksa enjoys immunity from arrest, and he is believed to have wanted to go abroad before stepping down to avoid the possibility of being detained.</p>.<p>He, his wife and two bodyguards were the four passengers on a military aircraft that took off from Sri Lanka's main international airport, immigration sources told AFP.</p>.<p>Hours later, with no formal announcement he was stepping down, thousands of demonstrators mobbed the office of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe -- whom Rajapaksa named as acting president during his absence -- demanding both officeholders should go.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read —<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-denies-helping-gotabaya-rajapaksa-flying-out-keen-to-preserve-goodwill-its-aid-generated-in-sri-lanka-1126210.html" target="_blank"> India denies helping Gotabaya Rajapaksa flying out, keen to preserve goodwill its aid generated in Sri Lanka</a></strong></p>.<p>"Go home Ranil, Go home Gota," they shouted.</p>.<p>Police fired tear gas to hold them back from overrunning the compound and officials declared a nationwide state of emergency, the prime minister's spokesman Dinouk Colombage told AFP.</p>.<p>Police imposed an indefinite curfew across the Western Province, which includes Colombo, "to contain the situation", a senior police officer said.</p>.<p>Wickremesinghe would automatically become acting president if Rajapaksa steps down, but has himself announced his willingness to resign if consensus is reached on forming a unity government.</p>.<p>The prime minister's office confirmed that Rajapaksa had left the country, but said it had no schedule for any presidential resignation announcement.</p>.<p>The succession process could take between three days -- the minimum time needed for parliament to elect an MP to serve out Rajapaksa's term, which ends in November 2024 -- and a maximum of 30 days allowed under the statute.</p>
<p>Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency on Wednesday after the president fled overseas to escape anti-government protests, as thousands of people took to the streets, again furious that he had not yet stood down.</p>.<p>President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had promised at the weekend to resign on Wednesday after escaping his official residence in Colombo just before tens of thousands of protesters overran it.</p>.<p>As president, Rajapaksa enjoys immunity from arrest, and he is believed to have wanted to go abroad before stepping down to avoid the possibility of being detained.</p>.<p>He, his wife and two bodyguards were the four passengers on a military aircraft that took off from Sri Lanka's main international airport, immigration sources told AFP.</p>.<p>Hours later, with no formal announcement he was stepping down, thousands of demonstrators mobbed the office of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe -- whom Rajapaksa named as acting president during his absence -- demanding both officeholders should go.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read —<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-denies-helping-gotabaya-rajapaksa-flying-out-keen-to-preserve-goodwill-its-aid-generated-in-sri-lanka-1126210.html" target="_blank"> India denies helping Gotabaya Rajapaksa flying out, keen to preserve goodwill its aid generated in Sri Lanka</a></strong></p>.<p>"Go home Ranil, Go home Gota," they shouted.</p>.<p>Police fired tear gas to hold them back from overrunning the compound and officials declared a nationwide state of emergency, the prime minister's spokesman Dinouk Colombage told AFP.</p>.<p>Police imposed an indefinite curfew across the Western Province, which includes Colombo, "to contain the situation", a senior police officer said.</p>.<p>Wickremesinghe would automatically become acting president if Rajapaksa steps down, but has himself announced his willingness to resign if consensus is reached on forming a unity government.</p>.<p>The prime minister's office confirmed that Rajapaksa had left the country, but said it had no schedule for any presidential resignation announcement.</p>.<p>The succession process could take between three days -- the minimum time needed for parliament to elect an MP to serve out Rajapaksa's term, which ends in November 2024 -- and a maximum of 30 days allowed under the statute.</p>