It is reported that all trains coming to Colombo have been suspended. According to the instructions of the Prime Minister’s Office, the train journeys to Colombo will not operate until further notice, says the General Manager of Railways.
The Railway General Manager further states that this decision has been taken as curfew has been imposed in the Western Province.
Tear gas firing has started again on the protesters who are waiting in front of the Prime Minister’s office on Flower Road, Colombo. Despite the tear gas, the protestors are still there.
Due to the continuous tear gas attacks, not only the protestors but also local and foreign journalists, and people staying in the houses on both sides of the road are in a lot of trouble.
Meanwhile, more security forces are being called to this area. It is reported that more than a thousand members of the security forces have been called and a large number of water cannons have been installed there.
The broadcasting activities of Sri Lanka Television Corporation, the leading state media organization in the country, have been suspended.
It is reported that heavy military security was deployed for the television corporation yesterday and a large number of protestors are staying near the television corporation.
Broadcasting has been suspended suddenly.
It is reported that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was staying in Maldives, is currently leaving for Singapore.
It is reported that Rajapaksa stayed in Maldives with the intention of traveling to Abu Dhabi and will travel to Abu Dhabi via Singapore.
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.
