Sri Lanka's ousted president says he 'took all possible steps' to prevent crisis

FILE PHOTO: Demonstrators sleep at the Presidential Secretariat after Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena officially announced the resignation of president Gotabaya Rajapaksa who fled to Singapore amid Sri Lanka's economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 15, 2022. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

COLOMBO (Reuters) -Sri Lanka’s ousted president, who fled overseas this week to escape a popular uprising against his government, has said he took "all possible steps" to avert the economic crisis that has engulfed the island nation.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation was accepted by parliament on Friday. He flew to the Maldives and then Singapore after hundreds of thousands of anti-government protesters came out onto the streets of Colombo a week ago and occupied his official residence and offices.