In a recent report on the crisis in Sri Lanka 2022, Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency for the second time since April. This is done to maintain law and order.
Crisis in Sri Lanka 2022, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency at midnight Friday for the second time in a month as anti-government protests escalated across the country amid an unprecedented economic crisis, the Blue House said.
The state of emergency gives police and security forces broad powers to arbitrarily arrest and detain people.
Rajapaksa’s decision is to ensure public safety and maintain essential services to keep the country running smoothly, the President’s Press Office said.
The decision comes after weeks of protests calling for the resignation of the president and government, accusing the powerful Rajapaksa clan of mismanaging the economy of an island nation already hit by the epidemic.
Earlier, student activists warned of besieging Parliament after unions demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his government set off strikes across the island over their inability to cope with the economic crisis that has caused unprecedented hardship to the population.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who signaled that she would not resign last Friday, came under unexpected pressure to resign during an interim cabinet meeting.
Opinions came out from the government, and some even proposed the resignation of the prime minister. According to sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the president (Gotabaya Raja Paksa) tried to end the political crisis even after his resignation as prime minister.
Supporters of the 72-year-old prime minister insisted on his stay as the public demanded the resignation of his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Sri Lanka is experiencing the worst economic crisis in history due to shortages of necessities and power outages caused by a severe currency crisis.
Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency on 1 April after mass protests in front of his mansion. He withdrew it on April 5th.
Sri Lanka has experienced unprecedented economic turmoil since its independence from the United Kingdom in 1948. Part of the crisis was due to a shortage of foreign exchange, which meant that the country could not afford to import necessities and fuels, resulting in a serious shortage and very high prices.
Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Sri Lanka since April 9, when the government ran out of money for important imports. Soaring prices for essentials and a sharp shortage of fuel, medicine and electricity.
Despite increasing pressure, President Rajapaksa and his brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, refused to resign.
They won major parliamentary elections on Thursday, with candidates winning a convincing victory in the vice-chairman’s election.
Also read: Sri Lanka announces $51- billion debt default to combat crises
