Rajapaksa made this decision after leaving the island country and arriving in Singapore, and it is said that Colombo residents were pleased with his choice.
The parliament’s speaker acknowledged receiving the letter of resignation.
Rajapaksa reportedly left the nation prior to his anticipated resignation as president, according to a previous report by SaharaReporters.
In the midst of widespread protests over the island’s economic crisis, the president took off in a military jet.
The resignation of the president comes on the same day that protesters announced the end of their occupation of official buildings such as the presidential palace, presidential secretariat, and Prime Minister’s office.
While president, Rajapaksa had immunity from arrest, which he used to leave Sri Lanka. He resigned only after he had left the country to avoid being detained.
Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Prime Minister, has asked security forces to restore order and declare a state of emergency.
According to Sri Lankan security sources, Rajapaksa is expected to stay in Singapore for a while before possibly moving to the United Arab Emirates, according to AFP.
Hundreds of thousands of people have visited Rajapaksa’s compound since it was made public after he fled and his security guards surrendered.
The gates were closed by Thursday afternoon, with armed guards stationed inside and outside.
Rajapaksa is accused of mismanaging the economy to the point where the country has run out of foreign currency to finance even the most basic imports, causing severe hardship for the country’s 22 million people. Sri Lanka defaulted on its $51 billion foreign debt in April and is currently negotiating a possible bailout with the International Monetary Fund.
The island’s already scarce petrol supplies have nearly run out, prompting the government to order the closure of non-essential offices and schools in order to reduce commuting and save fuel.
According to AFP, Mr Rajapaksa’s attempts to obtain a visa to the US were denied because he renounced his US citizenship in 2019 before running for President.