Colombo: Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa issued a notification revoking the proclamation issued declaring the State of Emergency, as the island nation continued to stare at the countrywide protests over the severe economic crisis.
The State of Emergency will be revoked from midnight of April 5, 2022, the English language newspaper Daily Mirror reported.
Earlier, Rajapaksa had announced an emergency in the country to ensure “public security and maintenance of public order.”
Anti-government protests continue to take place in the island nation, demanding solutions to the current economic crisis. An emergency health situation has been declared in Sri Lanka today, due to a severe shortage of medicines in the country.
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“Please try and help Sri Lanka to the maximum possible extent. This is our motherland. We need to save our motherland.”
– Sajith Premadasa, Leader of the Opposition in Sri Lanka, to Indian PM Narendra Modi
Amid the growing calls for President’s resignation, Rajapaksa said he will not resign but will be ready to hand over the government to whichever party holds 113 seats in Parliament.
Sri Lanka is battling a severe economic crisis with food and fuel scarcity affecting a large number of the people in the island nation. The economy has been in a free-fall since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
India has already provided assistance worth $1.5 billion. Colombo has also sought assistance from China.
“Sri Lankan government sold everything to China. That is the biggest problem. Sri Lanka has no money as it has sold everything to China. It is buying everything on credit from other countries.”
– Farukh, a fruit vendor in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is facing a foreign exchange shortage, which has, incidentally, affected its capacity to import food and fuel, leading to the power cuts in the country. The shortage of essential goods forced Sri Lanka to seek assistance from friendly countries.
Last week, 26 Sri Lankan cabinet ministers resigned en masse from their positions amid rising public anger against the government over the economic crisis. All 26 of them signed a general letter, consenting to resign paving the way for a new Cabinet to be formed, Daily Mirror reported.
