July 18 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Sri Lanka’s acting president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, declared a state of emergency in the Asian country on Monday, as his administration tries to quell social unrest and deal with the economic crisis plaguing the country.
“It is convenient to do it in the interest of public safety, the protection of public order and the maintenance of essential supplies and services for the life of the community,” he stressed in a statement.
Wickremesinghe took office on Friday after former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa tendered his resignation on Thursday after fleeing the country amid massive popular mobilizations against the authorities due to the very serious economic crisis the island is going through.
The also prime minister assured that he will resign once an inclusive government is formed after the resignation of Rajapaksa, although the protesters, who have been mobilizing for weeks to protest against the economic crisis and the worsening of the quality of life, also demanded the resignation of Wickremesinghe .
For his part, the president of Parliament, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, confirmed that the new president will be elected on July 20 by the legislative body, a date previously chosen by the leaders of the political parties with representation.
Rajapaksa gave in after several months of protests over rising prices, lack of food, medicine and fuel, which has left the small Asian island facing its worst economic crisis since it gained independence from British colonial rule.
The popular revolution in Sri Lanka has thus forced the definitive downfall of the Rajapaksa family, after Gotabaya forced his brother Mahinda to step down as prime minister in early May in a superfluous attempt to quell the protests.
Add Comment