Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday declared an emergency and imposed curfew in the Western Province of the country after protesters stormed the prime minister’s office building while chanting “Ranil go home” slogans. As protests and chaos engulfed the island country, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flew to the Maldives.
In a televised interview, Wickremesinghe said, “Those who stormed into my office want to stop me from discharging my responsibilities as acting President.” Calling the protestors fascist, Wickremesinghe further said, “We must end this fascist threat to democracy. We can’t allow the destruction of state property. The President’s office, the President’s Secretariat and the Prime Minister’s official residence must be returned to proper custody.”
The Acting President also said he had instructed the military and police to do “what is necessary to restore order”. The demonstrators “want to stop me from discharging my responsibilities as acting president”, he said.
Demanding President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe to step down, protestors had on Saturday 9 July stormed Wickremesinghe’s private residence and set it on fire. A day later, protestors also took over the Presidential Palace.
Wickremesinghe was appointed as acting President on Wednesday by Rajpaksa even as he fled to Maldives on a Sri Lankan Air Force jet, along with his family. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana announced his appointment in a brief televised statement.
Acknowledging the wide support the protests against the present government have among the mainstream political parties, Wickremesinghe further said, “We can’t let them tear up our Constitution. We can’t allow fascists to take over. Some mainstream politicians too seem to be supporting these extremists. That is why I declared a nation-wide emergency and a curfew.”
Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa challenged Wickremesinghe’s appointment as acting President and his authority to impose emergency. Premadasa said in a tweet, “PM becomes acting President only if the President appoints him as such, or if the office of President is vacant, or if the CJ in consultation with the Speaker forms the view that the President is unable to act.” The prime minister cannot exercise the powers of the President and cannot declare a curfew or a state of emergency, Premadasa added in another tweet.