Diplomats urged Sri Lanka to reconsider its emergency declaration.
On Saturday, US and European diplomats pushed Sri Lanka’s ailing president to lift a state of emergency imposed following a nationwide strike that halted the country’s insolvency.
Months of blackouts, as well as severe food, fuel, and medical shortages, have wreaked havoc on the South Asian island nation, which is suffering from its greatest economic collapse in history.
After weeks of rallies demanding his government resign for its mishandling of the issue, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa proclaimed a new state of emergency on Friday.
The second declaration of emergency in as many months has disturbed US Ambassador Julie Chung, who added that Sri Lanka’s increasing economic crises and political deadlock need long-term solutions.
“The State of Emergency will not assist in that,” Chung wrote on Twitter.
The European Union warned that the decree “may have a counterproductive effect,” noting that anti-government protests had been calm for the previous month.
After Friday’s countrywide strike halted public transportation and economic activities, Rajapaksa’s spokesman stated the state of emergency was implemented to “maintain public order.”
The bill provides the military broad detention powers and permits the president to establish laws without parliamentary approval.
On April 1, Rajapaksa proclaimed a state of emergency, a day after tens of thousands of demonstrators attempted to storm his home in Colombo.
Days later, it was allowed to expire, but demonstrations have since increased and spread to every state.
For nearly a month, thousands have gathered outside Rajapaksa’s oceanfront office to demand his resignation.
On Friday, police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse student demonstrators who were blocking the parliament building.
– Instability in politics –
Sri Lanka is experiencing its “biggest economic crisis and political turmoil ever,” according to the administration.
“The state of emergency was imposed to ensure political stability, which is a prerequisite for resolving the current socioeconomic crisis,” according to the statement.
The declaration of an emergency is a setback for Sri Lanka’s key tourism economy, which had been slowly recovering following the coronavirus outbreak.
“Tour companies will be hesitant because the emergency means increased costs.”
According to government sources, the president may ask his brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, to resign in order to pave the way for a unity government to guide Sri Lanka through the crisis.
However, Sri Lanka’s major opposition party has stated that it will not join any administration led by a Rajapaksa family member.
Sri Lanka’s economic problems began when the pandemic decimated tourism and remittance revenues.
Utility firms have imposed daily blackouts to ration electricity due to a shortage of funds, while huge queues of people snake around service stations for petrol and kerosene.
Hospitals are running low on essential medicines, prompting the government to ask for donations from residents around the world.
Sri Lanka defaulted on its $51 billion debt.
