Sri Lanka Emergency: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed acting president on July 13, 2022 after incumbent President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country. This change in gaurd was announced by the Parliamentary Speaker as thousands of protesters took to the streets in Colombo demanding resignation from both of them. Sri Lanka has also declared an indefinite state of emergency amid the protests.
The Prime Minister's office released a statement saying, "Since the president is out of the country, an emergency has been declared to deal with the situation."
#UPDATE Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe (pic, L) was appointed acting president on Wednesday after incumbent Gotabaya Rajapaksa (R) fled the country, the parliamentary Speaker announced as thousands of protesters demanded both men step down https://t.co/ErYiwgq54o pic.twitter.com/GBFTsRLy0y
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) July 13, 2022
#UPDATE Crisis-hit Sri Lanka declares an indefinite nationwide state of emergency, hours after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country, the prime minister's office says.
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) July 13, 2022
"Since the president is out of the country, an emergency has been declared to deal with the situation" pic.twitter.com/oSbcj3sqcR
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is now the acting President of Sri Lanka. He declared a nationwide emergency and imposed a curfew in the western province. However, the protestors are demanding Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to also step down along with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Sri Lankan police fired tear gas to hold back thousands of protesters who are mobbing the Prime Minister's office in Colombo.
#UPDATE Sri Lankan police fire tear gas to hold back thousands of protesters mobbing the PM's office in Colombo, @AFP reporters at the scene report.
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) July 13, 2022
The protesters are demanding Ranil Wickremesinghe step down along with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who has fled to the Maldives pic.twitter.com/QXZv9Izgsk
READ ALSO: Sri Lanka PM Ranil Wickremesinghe resigns, President Gotabaya to resign on July 13th
Where is Sri Lankan President?
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flew out of the country to the Maldives along with his wife on July 12, 2022. He fled the country with two bodyguards aboard a Sri Lankan Air Force Plane following widespread protests in the country amid a months-long economic crisis.
The Sri Lankan President was driven to an undisclosed location under police escort after arrival in Maldives. He was expected to step down from his position on July 13. As per reports, Gotabaya Rajapaksa had promised during the weekend to clear the way for a "peaceful transition of power" after fleeing his official residence in Colombo.
Sri Lanka's president fled to the Maldives early Wednesday.
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) July 13, 2022
On arrival in the Maldives Gotabaya Rajapaksa was driven to an undisclosed location under police escort.https://t.co/lo8gf8sJI3
📸 Huge crowds visit Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa's official residence in Colombo pic.twitter.com/a5elaAMw8i
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had also announced that he is willing to step down from office once a new government is in place.
What's happening in Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka is headed deep into one of its worst economic crisis. The country is on edge of bankruptcy, with hardly any money to buy much-needed fuel and daily essentials including food and medicines.
There is a severe food and fuel shortage in the country, leading to long queues to buy fuel and cooking gas, forcing people to skip meals to survive on the already scarce food.
The island nation is currently surviving on the help from neighboring countries such as India and China and from the International Monetary Fund.
The Sri Lankan Finance Ministry said recently that the country has only $25 million in usable foreign reserves and needs at least $6 billion to get through the next six months.
The country has over $51 billion debt and is unable to even make interest payments on its loans. The Sri Lankan currency has collapsed by almost 80 percent, triggering sky-high inflation with food costs rising by almost 57 percent.
READ ALSO: Sri Lanka announces default on all its $51 billion external debt: What does this mean?
The economic crisis added to political corruption has deepened the public's mistrust in the government, leading people to take to the streets to express their dissent. Over the weekend, thousands of protestors had stormed the Presidential Palace in Colombo, forcing the President to flee the complex.
#WATCH Sound of gunshots fired in the air heard as protesters gather outside Sri Lankan PM's residence in Colombo pic.twitter.com/mB3oBBCHJQ
— ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2022
What's next in Sri Lanka?
Ranil Wickremesinghe had himself tweeted on July 9 that he would resign as Prime Minister to make way for an all-party government. He has not though formally resigned from the position.
He became the acting President of the nation after President Gotabaya fled to Maldives. The protestors have been demanding for his resignation as well along with that of the president.
If Wickremesinghe resigns and Prime Minister's post is vacant then, the Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament will become the acting President. If the Wickremesinghe is still PM when the President resigns, he will be the new President till a new candidate is elected to the position by the Parliament.
Ranil Wickremsinghe had said in a statement on July 11th that “no one can go beyond the Constitution, and no one can force Parliament to do things from outside. I am here to safeguard the Constitution, one must listen to the people but should act in accordance with the constitution. Sri Lanka needs an all-party government. We have to work for it.”
Wickremesinghe, who had taken the office of PM in May after former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa's resignation, emphasied on the monumental task he faces in turning around an economy, which he said was heading for “rock bottom.”
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