Sri Lanka Crisis HIGHLIGHTS: Curfew Imposed Islandwide Until 5 AM On Thursday As Protests Continue
Sri Lanka Crisis HIGHLIGHTS: A deep financial crisis has left Sri Lanka struggling to pay for imports of food, medicine, and fuel and brought thousands of protesters onto the streets.
US Embassy in Sri Lanka on Wednesday cancelled its all consular services for today and tomorrow amid fresh protests.
“Out of an abundance of caution, Consular is canceling our Wednesday afternoon services (American citizen services and NIV passback) as well as all consular services on Thursday. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reschedule all cancelled appointments,” tweeted US Embassy in Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, some of the protestors have stormed inside the premises of Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister’s office in Colombo. (ANI)
Sri Lanka's Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Wednesday said President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has informed him over telephone that he will resign today as promised.
Rajapaksa, 73, fled to the Maldives in the morning before he was due to officially resign after months of protests against his government's economic mismanagement that has led to severe shortages of food, fuel and other essentials in the country.
Speaker Abeywardena said President Rajapaksa has telephoned him to confirm that he would be sending his resignation today as pledged.
He said the vote for the new president will take place on July 20 and urged citizens to remain calm. (PTI)
Background
Sri Lanka Crisis HIGHLIGHTS: In the midst of the economic crisis in Sri Lanka, the situation is getting worse and people are demonstrating on the streets. After the President's residence, people also camped in the Prime Minister's house. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country, after which an emergency has been imposed in the country.
In Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe has been announced as acting President after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives. This was informed by the Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. In view of public anger, a curfew has been imposed in Colombo.
Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced that President Rajapaksa had appointed Wickremesinghe to perform his functions while he was abroad. "This was under article 37(1) of the Constitution," he said.
Reacting to the appointment, Sri Lanka LoP Sajith Premadasa said, "PM becomes acting President only if President appoints him, his office falls vacant, or CJ in consultation with Speaker forms view that President is unable to act. Without these, PM can't exercise President's power and can't declare a curfew."
The opposition has raised questions over the appointment of Ranil Wickremesinghe as the caretaker president. Sri Lanka's Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa said, "The Prime Minister becomes Acting President only when the President appoints him, his office becomes vacant or the Chief Justice, in consultation with the Speaker of Parliament, finds that the President is unable to act." Without these, the PM cannot exercise the power of the President and announce a curfew.
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