Sri Lanka declares emergency after President flees

Amid massive protests, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled from the country, and an indefinite nationwide state of emergency was declared in Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

“Since the president is out of the country, an emergency has been declared to deal with the situation in the country,” Prime Minister’s spokesman Dinouk Colombage said.

According to the sources, President Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives on a military aircraft with his wife and two bodyguards.

Moreover, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe declared an emergency as he took over the role of acting PM. A curfew was imposed in Sri Lanka’s western province immediately after Ranil took control.

Earlier on July 9, President Rajapaksa fled from his official residence in Colombo. Many dramatic visuals came from his official home, where people played carrom board, slept on the sofa, enjoyed the park and cooked dinner.

The country’s 22 million population suffers from its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948. The oil supply shortage has forced the closure of schools and government offices until further notice.

However, the deteriorating economic situation in the country has increased the tension. Over the past few weeks, there have been reports of several confrontations between individuals and members of the police force and the armed forces at fuel stations.

Notably on Saturday, during a press conference, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abhaywardene announced that the President would resign from his post on July 13.