A state of emergency has been declared under the powers of the President from midnight yesterday.
The Department of Government Information states that the President has implemented the Emergency Law with effect from yesterday (06) to ensure political stability and uninterrupted normalcy of the people, which is an essential factor in the reforms that need to be made to overcome the current economic and social crisis.
The Department said that Sri Lanka is now facing the worst economic and social crisis and political instability since independence as a whole as a result of several factors with short-term and long-term consequences.
It is generally accepted that to overcome this we need to make a series of profound reforms in our political, economic and social fabric.
Among them is the management of the exchange rate deficit and the restoration of the supply of goods and services within the shortest possible time, the Information Department said.
The current state of the state of emergency
A state of Emergency will not help to solve the country s problems -EU
Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) has said that a state of emergency will not help solve the country’s problems.
it is difficult to understand the imposition of emergency laws when protests are peaceful – The Canadian High Commission in Colombo
The Canadian High Commission in Colombo says it is difficult to understand the imposition of emergency laws when protests are peaceful.
The Canadian High Commissioner said this in a Twitter message.
The Bar Association urges President to Remove the state of emergency
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka says it is paying close attention to the declaration of a state of emergency. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka urges the President to rescind the declaration of a state of emergency.
The protests are peaceful. Give reasons for imposing the state of emergency – Human Rights Commission
The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has requested the government to explain to the public the reasons for declaring a state of emergency.
That is because the protests were largely peaceful and within the confines of normal police operations.
Challenges need long-term solutions. Declaring a state of emergency will not help – US Ambassador to Colombo
The US Ambassador to Colombo says long-term solutions to the real challenges facing Sri Lankans are needed to bring the country back to the path of prosperity.
The ambassador added that declaring a state of emergency would not help.
