President declares state of emergency in Sri Lanka

A state of emergency will be declared by the President with effect from midnight today (May 06), the President’s Media Division said. 

The PMD states that the state of emergency will be declared in accordance with the powers vested in the President by the Constitution to safeguard the well-being of the country and to maintain the essential supplies and services to the people.

The president invoked the tough laws after trade unions staged a nationwide strike Friday demanding his resignation over a worsening economic crisis.

The move comes in the wake of protests across the island demanding the resignation of the President and the entire government over the severe economic crisis in the country. 

Meanwhile an island-wide strike and Hartal campaign was staged by a large number of trade unions and association today, also calling for the resignation of the government. 

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had similarly declared a state of emergency last month.

On the 01st of April, a special gazette notification was issued declaring a public emergency in Sri Lanka with immediate effect, and the move was said to be 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 as it is expedient, the gazette read.

The public emergency had been declared just a day after the mass protest staged near the presidential residence in Mirihana on March 31 which sparked a series of demonstrations across the country, as people took to the streets against the government.

However, the President later revoked the proclamation pertaining to the declaration of public emergency in Sri Lanka with effect from midnight on April 05.

The government had claimed that emergency regulations and curfew were invoked with the sole intention of ensuring peace and safety of public life and public and private property.