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Sri Lanka’s Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe Declares State Of Emergency

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According to a Sri Lankan government notice released late on Sunday, acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe has declared a state of emergency as his administration seeks to end social unrest and handle a severe economic crisis gripping the country.

“It is expedient, so to do, in the interests of public security, the protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community,” the notification stated.

Ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said he took “all possible steps” to avert the crippling economic crisis that has gripped the island nation. Rajapaksa fled overseas after attempts to quell a popular uprising backfired.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned, and the move was accepted by parliament on Friday. The former civil war hero flew to the Maldives and then Singapore after hundreds of thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets of Colombo a week ago. The protestors occupied his residence and offices.

Sri Lanka’s parliament convened on Saturday to initiate the process of choosing a new president, as a shipment of fuel arrived providing some relief to the crisis-hit country.

Wickremesinghe, an ally of Rajapaksa, is one of the top contenders to take on the presidency full-time but protesters also want him gone, leading to the prospect of further unrest should he be elected, reported the Hindustan Times

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