ANKARA, April 6 — Sri Lanka’s president has revoked a state of emergency previously declared in the island nation, according to the country’s Official Gazette on Tuesday.
The extraordinary issue of the Official Gazette said revoking of the emergency was effective as of Tuesday midnight, Anadolu Agency reported.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced the emergency a day after a huge crowd gathered outside his home last Thursday night and demanded his resignation.
Anadolu Agency reported that police had used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd and arrested a large number of protesters, according to local media.
Protesters claim that the Rajapaksa administration’s improper practices caused the country’s foreign exchange reserves to deplete rapidly, severely impacting essential imports and leading to price increases for staple foods and shortages of essential items such as cooking gas and fuel.
Sri Lanka has been reeling from the worst economic crisis that has resulted in 13-hour-long rolling blackouts, and a shortage of fuel, food, and medicines supply.
The country, which needs to repay an estimated US$7.3 billion in domestic and foreign loans over the next 12 months, was left with reserves of US$2.31 billion as of February and may go bankrupt.
— Bernama
