Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has declared a public emergency amidst a spate of protests over the worst economic crisis in the country. Rajapaksa issued a special gazette notification on Friday, declaring a public emergency in Sri Lanka with effect from April 1.
Protesters stormed barricades and have been accused of setting vehicles ablaze near President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s private residence on Thursday.
The military has since been deployed and now has the power to arrest suspects without warrants.
It is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which is used to pay for fuel imports.
Faced with power cuts lasting half a day or more, and a lack of fuel and essential food and medicines, public anger has reached a new high in the island nation of 22 million.
A nationwide state of emergency has been declared in Sri Lanka, a day after protests outside the president’s house turned violent.
