Sri Lanka’s beleaguered leaders have imposed a state of emergency several times since April, when public protests began against the government’s handling of a deepening economic crisis and a persistent shortage of basic goods. “It is therefore appropriate to do so in the interests of public safety, the protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to community life,” the statement said. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Wickremesinghe had declared a state of emergency last week after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country to escape a popular uprising against his government, but it had not been officially notified or gazetted. read more Late on Sunday, Wickremesinghe – who was sworn in on July 15 as acting president – declared a new state of emergency, the specific legal provisions of which have yet to be announced by the government. Previous emergency regulations have been used to deploy the military to arrest and detain individuals, search private property, and suppress public demonstrations. The country’s commercial capital Colombo remained calm on Monday morning, with traffic and pedestrians taking to the streets. Bhavani Fonseka, senior research fellow at the Center for Policy Alternatives, said declaring a state of emergency is becoming the government’s default response. “This has proven ineffective in the past,” Fonseca told Reuters. Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives and then to Singapore last week after hundreds of thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets of Colombo a week ago and occupied his official residence and office. Parliament accepted Rajapaksa’s resignation on Friday and met a day later to begin the process of electing a new president, with a vote set for Wednesday. The crisis-hit country also received a shipment of fuel that arrived to provide some relief amid crippling shortages. Wickremesinghe, a six-time prime minister who is seen as a Rajapaksa ally, is one of the leading contenders to take over the presidency full-time, but protesters also want him gone, leading to the prospect of further unrest if he is elected. Sajith Premadasa, leader of the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) party, is another leading contender, along with Dullas Alahapperuma, a senior ruling party lawmaker who served as media minister and cabinet spokesman. read more (Story edited to correct wear in second paragraph) Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Written by Devjyot Ghoshal, Edited by Simon Cameron-Moore Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
