July 14 (UPI) -- Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa turned in his resignation on Thursday after he arrived in Singapore, marking the partial end of a crisis that led thousands of protesters into the streets to demand his departure.
The resignation letter was emailed to Parliamentary Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, officials said. Some were left to speculate earlier on Thursday when Rajapaksa missed the deadline to submit the letter.
Abeywardena said that Rajapaksa traveled to Singapore by way of the Maldives.
"He has not asked for asylum and neither has he been granted any asylum. Singapore generally does not grant requests for asylum," Singapore's foreign ministry said, confirming he had landed.
The massive group of protesters who'd stormed the president's official residence and the prime minister's office left on Thursday.
"We captured this building to show people power. We give it back the way we captured it and leave. We will come back in the next minute if needed," Danish Ali, a protester at the prime minister's office, told BBC News.
Protesters stormed the offices of Prime Minister and Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday after Rajapaksa fled. Some reports said that he waited to submit his resignation until he was safely out of Sri Lanka to avoid possible arrest.
Demonstrators have protested for months over an economic crisis in the country that's left millions struggling to afford essential items.
Sri Lanka's Parliament is expected to convene in Colombo on Friday and elect a new president on next week.
