The Gazette’s repeal assumes significance as the ruling coalition appears to have lost its majority.
The Gazette’s repeal assumes significance as the ruling coalition appears to have lost its majority.
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was deposed late Tuesday night, April 5, 2022 state of emergency He made the announcement on April 1 with immediate effect.
In a gazette notification number 2274/10 issued late Tuesday night, the President said he has withdrawn the Emergency Rules Ordinance, which gave broad powers to the security forces to prevent any unrest in the country.
President Rajapaksa has declared a public emergency on April 1 amid protests worst economic crisis in country.
The state of emergency was imposed because of the plan for mass protests on 3 April against the current economic difficulties facing the people.
Later, the government imposed an island-wide curfew. The protests continued despite a curfew and a state of emergency, with senior leaders of the ruling party surrounded by angry protesters who urged the government to address the economic crisis.
Several people were injured and vehicles were torched as the agitation turned violent. Police fired tear gas and water cannons at the protesters after they demolished a steel barricade near the president’s residence. Following the incident, several people were arrested and curfew was briefly imposed in most parts of Colombo city.
Shortage of foreign exchange in Sri Lanka has led to shortage of essential goods like fuel and cooking gas. Power cuts that last up to 13 hours a day.
The Gazette’s repeal assumes significance as the ruling coalition appears to lost his majority More than 40 lawmakers in the 225-member parliament declared independence from the ruling coalition.
The sanction of emergency must be ratified in the assembly after two weeks of coming into force. The opposition demanded in Parliament on Monday that it debate the Emergency for its approval.
The second largest group within the ruling Sri Lanka People’s Party (SLPP) coalition has officially told Rajapaksa that its 14 members will not support the resolution.
If those who declared independence did not vote with the government, there was a chance that emergency rules could not be passed in the assembly.
Sri Lanka is currently facing the worst economic crisis in history. People have been battling for weeks due to long lines for fuel, cooking gas, essential items in short supply and hours of power cuts.
Rajapaksa defended his government’s actions, saying the foreign exchange crisis was not his and the economic slowdown was largely driven by the pandemic where the island’s tourism revenue and inward remittances were reduced.