Committee appointed to restore law and order - Acting President

Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe says a committee comprising the Chief of Defence Staff, the IGP and Commanders of the Tri-Forces has been appointed to restore law and order and to bring the situation to normalcy.

He stated this while making a special televised statement today (13).

Ranil Wickremasinghe also said that he had given instructions to the security personnel to control the situation in the country.

“We met the party leaders on Monday afternoon, to discuss about the situation that can arise after the resignation of the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. At the moment we decided to hold the election for the presidency, and to provide the security for the parliamentarians. I also pledge to resign from the Prime Minister position, at the instance an all-party government is formed. Accordingly, we ended the meeting      after deciding to meet once again on Friday. During the period after that those who were willing to put forward their candidacy started holding discussion with other parliamentarians to obtain their support. Such was the democratic situation that prevailed within the country.”

He said that especially yesterday President Gotabaya Rajapaksa left the country, informing that he would submit his resignation letter to the Speaker and also informing the PM that he is leaving the country.

Wickremesinghe said that according to the intelligence reports received, despite the steps taken by them to elect a new president, some groups of people from the protestors (Aragalaya) had organized to storm the Prime Minister’s Office and to surround the residence of the Air Force commander for providing the President with a plane to fly to Maldives. He said they had also decided to surround the residences of the Army Commander and the Navy Commander. 

He claimed that they were attempting to capture power through such activities and that they had also planned to storm the Parliament complex. 

He said that the Speaker discussed with the chief of defence staff and security forces commanders to safeguard the parliament and due to that they were not able to storm the parliament. 

He stated that those who stormed the Prime Minister’s Office today are now rioting and engaging in violence and unruly behavior around the PM’s Office. “They have no reason to go to the Prime Minister’s Office,” he said.

Wickremesinghe claimed that they want to prevent him, the Acting President, and the Speaker from ensuring that a new President is selected for the country and that they want their own candidate to be selected.

He stated that some have said that the country’s constitution doesn’t matter, the parliament does not matter and to only do what they say.  The constitution and the parliament implement the universal suffrage and the sovereignty of the people, the Acting President said. 

“Our constitution cannot be torn up. Some said there is no need for the constitution. Then that is an unconstitutional activity,” he said, while adding that some are attempting to spread fascism in the country and that certain traditional politicians have also joined in this. 

He said that under the situation which had prevailed today, the security forces had advised him to declare a state of emergency and to impose a curfew. 

“Accordingly, I have currently declared both an emergency and a curfew. We have to do away with this threat of fascism. We have to protect the homes of the average citizens.”