Sri Lanka Protests Sri Lanka crisis: President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flees, protest intensifies as agitators forcefully enter PM's office
Colombo: Sri Lanka is witnessing another day of protests as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the crisis-hit nation by handing over his charges to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Protesters even entered the Prime Minister's Office forcefully as videos and images of the incident have gone viral on social media.
Protesters have taken over the Prime Minister's office in Colombo
— Sri Lanka Tweet 🇱🇰 💉 (@SriLankaTweet) July 13, 2022
📸 @Skandha92 #LKA #SriLanka #SriLankaCrisis pic.twitter.com/LLBZgUq9wd
The protesters have taken over the Prime Minister's Office at Flower Road, Colombo, a short while ago, reports Daily Mirror newspaper.
A committee, comprising of Chief of Defence Staff, Tri force Commanders and IGP ,had been appointed to ensure the security and the safety of the citizens and to restore law and order in the country, Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced as quoted by the newspaper.
He said the committee will be given every authority to act without interference from politicians.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has taken over as the acting President of the nation, hours after Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to Maldives amid protests against him in the country.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Acting President in accordance with the Article 37.1 of the Constitution, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardhane was quoted as saying by Daily Mirror.
He said in a special statement that the President informed him that the Prime Minister was appointed as the Acting President as he was away from the country, the newspaper reported.
" Rupavahini Tv should be unbiased media institution hereafter " A protestor who entered into the Sri Lanka National Television.#LKA #SriLanka #SriLankaCrisis pic.twitter.com/1XS6eEVtVW
— Sri Lanka Tweet 🇱🇰 💉 (@SriLankaTweet) July 13, 2022
Ranil Wickremesinghe ordered a curfew in the Western Province of Sri Lanka with immediate effect and ordered an emergency law island-wide, media reports said on Wednesday.
The PM issued the order after the police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse at least 1500 people who were protesting near the Prime Minister's office on Flower Road, Colombo 07 on Wednesday morning demanding resignation of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe.
A timeline of Sri Lanka's worst political crisis:
April 1: President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declares a state of emergency after a spate of protests.
April 3: Almost the entire Cabinet resigns, isolating President Rajapaksa and his brother-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
April 5: President Rajapaksa loses parliamentary majority. Emergency lifted. Finance Minister Ali Sabry quits.
April 10: Doctors say they are nearly out of life-saving medicines.
April 12: Sri Lanka announces it is defaulting on its foreign debt of $51 billion.
April 19: Police kill a protester.
May 9: Government loyalists attack peaceful protesters in Colombo. Nine people are killed and hundreds injured in reprisal violence.
Mahinda Rajapaksa resigns as Prime Minister, rescued by troops after protesters storm his residence. He is replaced by Ranil Wickremesinghe.
May 10: Shoot-to-kill orders issued.
June 27: Fuel sales suspended
July 9: President’s house stormed, Rajapaksa flees his official residence in Colombo. Wickremesinghe’s house is set on fire.
July 13: President Rajapaksa flies to the Maldives on a military aircraft.
(With UNI inputs)
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