“It is therefore appropriate to do so, in the interest of public safety, the protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to community life,” said a government statement published late Sunday. Wickremesinghe had declared a state of emergency last week after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country to escape a popular uprising against his government. It was unclear whether that order had been withdrawn or expired, or whether Wickremesinghe had reissued the decree in his capacity as acting president, having been sworn in on 15 July. A spokesman for Wickremesinghe’s office did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment. The specific legal provisions of the latest emergency have not yet been announced by the government, but previous emergency regulations have been used to deploy the military to arrest and detain people, 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,” Fonseka told Reuters. 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 took to the streets of Colombo a week ago and occupied his official residence and offices. Sri Lanka’s parliament met on Saturday to begin the process of electing a new president and a cargo of fuel arrived to provide some relief to the crisis-hit nation. Wickremesinghe, a Rajapaksa ally, has been nominated by the ruling party as a candidate for the next president, but protesters also want him gone, leading to further unrest if he is elected. Wickremesinghe was appointed interim president on Friday, having unofficially assumed the role since Wednesday, and the announcement was met with anger and frustration on the streets of Colombo. Wickremesinghe, who has now served as prime minister six times, is accused of protecting and supporting the Rajapaksa family dynasty for years, shielding them from corruption charges and allowing them to return to power. His decision to agree to become caretaker prime minister two months ago was seen by many as the reason Rajapaksa stayed in power for weeks longer than he otherwise would have. Public frustration with Wickremesinghe has played out many times, from the fire at his private residence to the storming of his offices by protesters on Wednesday. Wickremesinghe will be the candidate for the Rajapaksas’ ruling party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), which still holds the largest number of seats in parliament. He has a strong chance of being elected after MPs vote in parliament scheduled for next Tuesday or Wednesday. Wickremesinghe’s candidacy even appeared to cause divisions with the SLPP. Party president GL Peiris wrote to the party’s general secretary expressing “surprise and total disbelief” at the announcement that it would support Wickremesinghe as its presidential candidate. But Wickremesinghe will face several candidates in the presidential secret ballot next week, including opposition leader Sajith Premadasa – who has vowed to ensure “an electoral dictatorship never, ever happens” and to go after leaders who ” they looted the country” – and another SLPP politician, Dullas Alahapperuma, who could split the ruling party’s vote. Former army chief Sarath Fonseka has also signaled his intention to contest.
