President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has informed Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has been appointed as Acting President. The Speaker announced this a few moments ago.
The Speaker further states that this appointment has been made to cover the affairs of the Presidency as the President is out of the country.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is currently issuing orders as the Acting President, ignoring the pressure of the people asking him to resign from the post of Prime Minister. However, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has not yet announced his resignation and Wickramasinghe has not been sworn in as the Acting President.
In the meantime, it is also reported that Wickramasinghe, who is making various attempts to become the president, is trying to prorogue the Parliament.
Political sources say that they are ready to release the gazette announcement related to the prorogation of the Parliament, and the gazette announcement is currently being printed.
It is reported that as soon as Gotabhaya Rajapaksa resigns, Ranil Wickramasinghe will be sworn in as the Acting President and issue the gazette notice to dissolve the Parliament.
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena says that he has not yet received the resignation letter of the President. It had been reported that
the President will hand over his resignation letter to the Speaker by this afternoon.
The President, who fled from the Presidential Residence on the 9th and hid in a safe place in the face of public opposition, had informed the Speaker that he was ready to resign from office on the 13th.
However, the leaders of the struggle and the majority of the political party leaders said that the President does not need to take days to consider resigning when there is strong public opposition. They had warned that they are trying to carry out any conspiracy to protect the position while hiding.
Due to this, the protestors decided to continue their struggle and they had declared that the protest will continue until the resignation of the President is officially announced. Accordingly, they still have the Presidential Secretariat, the President’s House, the Temple Trees under their command.
Security has been tightened at the official residences of the three armed forces commanders and the defense secretary located at Baudhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 07.
It is said that security has been tightened by deploying security forces and barbed wire has also been used.
By this time, the protest has become active again and the Prime Minister’s Secretariat has also been taken over by the activists.
As of now, Ranil Wickramasinghe is acting as the Acting President even though the President has left the country, but the protestors are insisting that he should resign immediately.
The Prime Minister’s Office confirms that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will act as the Acting President.
This is stated in an announcement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office some time ago regarding the implementation of the curfew in the Western Province and the implementation of the state of emergency.
The relevant announcement states that Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe has ordered the implementation of the curfew in the Western Province and the implementation of the state of emergency throughout the country.
However, no official announcement has been made that Wickramasinghe has been sworn in as the Acting President. Also, the president has not officially announced that he will resign from his post.
In the given background, how can Ranil Wickramasinghe issue orders as the Acting President?
The Prime Minister’s Office announces that Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe has ordered the imposition of curfew in the Western Province and the enforcement of the state of emergency throughout the island with immediate effect.
Accordingly, the police and the armed forces have been given permission to immediately arrest the people engaged in riotous activities and the security forces have also been authorized to arrest the vehicles transporting the rioters.
Sources say that the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna has decided to give their full support to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at this moment.
Sources stated that they have decided to support Wickramasinghe as he is the only authority at the moment who can ensure their own security.
According to the experience of last May 09, they have reached this decision to avoid risking their lives and property.
Litro Lanka Gas Company says that it will start gas distribution to outlying provinces from today. The Chairman of Litro Company mentions that the daily gas distribution will continue from today.
The chairman also requested to consumers to refrain from buying gas from third parties at high prices as the company is ready to supply gas without shortage.
Muditha Peiris, president of Litro, states that another ship carrying gas stocks is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka on the 16th and thus the gas crisis will be completely ended before the 31st of July.
It is reported that four people were injured in a clash at the GotaGoGama Agarala area and have been hospitalized.
A hospital spokesman has stated that the bodies of these youths, aged 15, 17, 18 and 20 years, living in Wellampitiya and Colombo 15 area, have cut wounds.
All of them are said to be receiving treatment at the Colombo National Hospital.
Sri Lanka’s Central Bank has not yet approved the usage of virtual currencies including the cryptocurrencies for transactions and those who use them for transactions should bear the risks of any eventualities,Central Bank announced.
Considering the recent developments in relation to virtual currency usage in the international and domestic markets as well as the inquiries related to virtual currency, the Central Bank has warned of the possible exposure to significant financial, operational, legal and security related risks as well as customer protection concerns posed to the users by investments in VCs.
The public is also warned not to fall prey to various types of VC schemes offered through the Internet as well as other forms of media.
However The Central Bank that print money, lower living standards and create social unrest have block the evolution of new money as well as the adoption of existing stable money through legal tender laws.
Sri Lanka’s Colombo Port City has freed its residents from existing de facto and de jure legal tender restrictions by being a dollarized area.
Virtual Currencies (VCs) are largely unregulated digital representations of value that are issued by private entities and can be electronically traded.
CB has not given any license or authorization to any entity or company to operate schemes involving VCs, including cryptocurrencies, and has not authorized any Initial Coin Offerings (ICO), mining operations or Virtual Currency Exchanges.
Furthermore, as per the Directions No. 03 of 2021 under Foreign Exchange Act, No. 12 of 2017 issued by the Department of Foreign Exchange of CBSL, Electronic Fund Transfer Cards (EFTCs) such as debit cards and credit cards are not permitted to be used for payments related to virtual currency transactions.
Therefore, VCs are considered as unregulated financial instruments and have no regulatory oversight or safeguards relating to their usage in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka’s cabinet of ministers appointed a committee to look into blockchain and cryptocurrency use in the country.
Blockchain is a tool to transact via electronic means, which can also be used for Central Bank money, but crypto currencies are electronic money with their own anchor.
Crypto currencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum are being traded widely in exchanges but their use for transactions, debt or deposits (denominational currency) is limited or non-existent.
Central banks have also started offer virtual currencies to make use of new clearing technologies such as blockchain and also to compete against the rapidly evolving cryptocurrencies..
“There is no specific law on cryptocurrency,” TMJYP Fernando, the Central Bank’s Deputy Governor told reporters recently .
“But we have informed the general public about the dangers of engaging in that currency. So, the people who have engaged in this will have to bear the risk of that.”
While Cryptocurrencies not come into general use yet, partly due to high transaction costs, they have been in use for some criminal activities due to their anonymity, just like central bank paper cash, which are used for illegal activities now rather than bank accounts.
There have also been concerns raised about cryptocurrency exchange operators.
