Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - According to a government notification published late on Sunday, Sri Lanka 's acting President Ranil...
 |
| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - According to a government notification published late on Sunday, Sri Lanka's acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe has imposed a state of emergency as his administration works to suppress social unrest and address the island country's economic problems.
The notification indicated that it was necessary to take these actions in order to ensure public safety, preserve public order, and maintain supplies and services that were vital to the community's daily operations.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the president of Sri Lanka who was overthrown this week after a popular movement against his administration, claims to have taken "all conceivable precautions" to prevent the economic disaster that has gripped the island nation.
Parliament accepted Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation on Friday. After tens of thousands of anti-government protestors took to the streets of Colombo a week ago and overtook his official residence and offices, he took a flight to the Maldives and then to Singapore.
On Saturday, Sri Lanka's parliament convened to begin the process of electing a new president, and a shipment of fuel arrived to help the country in its time of need.
One of the leading candidates to hold the office of president on a full-time basis is Wickremesinghe, a Rajapaksa friend, but protesters also want him out, raising the possibility of additional unrest should he win.
