Sri Lanka's speaker of Parliament abevardna said on the 13th that President gothabaya Rajapaksa had informed him that Prime Minister viklamasingha would exercise presidential powers in accordance with the Constitution in view of his absence from the country. According to the relevant provisions of Sri Lanka's constitution, if the president is unable to exercise the presidential power due to illness, absence from the country or other reasons, the president can designate the prime minister to exercise the presidential power. Viklamasingha announced a state of emergency across the country on the 13th and imposed a curfew in the western province where Colombo, the capital, is located. The prime minister's office confirmed earlier on the 13th that President Rajapaksa had left the country. The Sri Lankan air force also issued a statement on the 13th that the president, the first lady and two security personnel had flown to Maldives by air force aircraft on the same day. Protests broke out in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, on the 9th. At the emergency political party meeting held on the afternoon of the same day, most party leaders asked the president and the prime minister to resign immediately and form an interim government with the participation of all parties as soon as possible. Prime Minister Vikram masinha said on the same day that he would resign. President Rajapaksa said he would resign on the 13th. Abevardna said on the 11th that the Sri Lankan parliament will elect a new president on the 20th of this month, and the new president will be responsible for the formation of a government with the participation of all parties. (Xinhua News Agency)