Lanka declares state of emergency to quell communal tension
Sri Lanka on Tuesday declared a state of emergency for 10 days to rein in the spread of communal violence…
Sr Lanka crises: Leading Sri Lanka’s politics into further chaos, a majority of the political parties have threatened to bring a no confidence motion against the Prime Minister and Acting President Ranil Wickremesingeh.
Opposition parties have informed the Speaker that Ranil Wickremesinghe should resign immediately and Parliament should be summoned forthwith. On Wednesday protesters, who demanded the exit of Wickremesinghe, took over the Prime Minister’s office despite the use of heavy force by the police and the military who fired water cannons and tear gas and finally shot in the air. Nearly 40 protesters were admitted to the hospital with injuries.
Protesters next walked to the Speaker’s official residence and Parliament where they were chased away with heavy force in which 42 were injured, including two soldiers and a police man. Wednesday’s violent protests killed a 26-year-=old protester.
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Chief of Defence Staff, Shavendra de Silva urged the people to stay calm and assist the security forces until the next President is elected from Parliament on July 20.
Wickremesinghe imposed emergency regulation and curfew to the Western province at Wednesday noon but later extended the curfew to the whole island and it was lifted at 5 a.m. on Thursday.
Acting President Wickremesinghe urged the political parties to appoint a Prime Minister acceptable to both the government and the opposition.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country amidst massive protests spread around the island and protesters took over his official house and the President’s Office, did not resign from his post as promised on July 9. The Speaker said that he had not received any communication from the President so far.
Rajapaska, who fled the country in a passenger plane belonging to the Sri Lanka Air Force to Maldives in early hours of Wednesday, is said to be planning to go to Singapore and then to a safer location in the Middle East. He has said that his resignation would be announced once he reaches his destination.
(With inputs from IANS)
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