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Crisis-hit Lanka lifts state of emergency

Link [2022-05-22 19:33:06]

Colombo, May 21

The state of emergency in Sri Lanka has been lifted with effect from Saturday after the government decided not to present the Emergency Regulations in Parliament for approval with the improvement in law and order situation in the island nation, nearly two weeks after it was imposed following unprecedented anti-government protests.

Situation better now

Move follows improvement in law and order situation in the island nationPresident Gotabaya Rajapaksa had declared a state of emergency with effect from May 6 midnight

Embattled Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had declared a state of emergency with effect from May 6 midnight, the second time in just over a month amidst growing countrywide anti-government protests over the economic crisis.

The presidential secretariat stated that the state of emergency has been lifted with effect from Friday midnight.

The president had declared a state of emergency on May 6 with a special gazette notification. It is up to Parliament to enact and enforce the state of emergency, which must be submitted to the House by the president within 14 days of the enactment, a report said.

However, the government decided not present the emergency regulations in parliament, following which the emergency ceased to function with effect from May 20 midnight, a local news website reported.

The state of emergency gave the police and the security forces sweeping power to arbitrarily arrest and detain people. The president's decision to declare the emergency had come amidst weeks of protests demanding his resignation and the government, blaming the powerful Rajapaksa clan for mishandling the island nation's economy, already hit by the pandemic.

At least 10 persons were killed and over 200 injured in clashes between pro- and anti-government protesters. Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis. The crisis is caused in part by lack of foreign currency, which means that the country cannot afford to pay for import of food and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices. An inflation rate spiralling towards 40 per cent, shortage of food and medicines have led to protests.