19 July 2022 12:00 am Views - 120
Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe gazetted an order declaring a State of Emergency ahead of the parliamentary vote to elect a new president.
The Extraordinary Gazette said, “The State of Emergency has been declared in a proclamation by Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe in terms of Article 40(1)(C) of the Constitution, by virtue of the powers vested in him by Section 2 of the Public Security Ordinance (Chapter 40), as amended by Act No. 8 of 1959, Law No. 6 of 1978 and Act No. 28 of 1988,” . According to the gazette, public emergency in Sri Lanka has been declared in the interests of public security, the protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community.
There will be four contenders for the Presidency that fell vacant after resignation of Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Mr. Wickremesinghe will contest the ballot. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Dullas Alahapperuma are the others. Nominations for the vote will be accepted today.