Sri Lanka Crisis: Emergency Powers Given To Military, Police; President Asked To Summon Parliament Immediately| Key Developments

The president had already declared a state of emergency on Friday as protests escalated, however, defying a nationwide curfew, thousands of protesters swarmed the entrance to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's office in Colombo for the 32nd day to demand that he follow in his brother's footsteps and quit.

Columbo: A day after violent clashes in Sri Lanka saw the resignation of the Prime Minister, who along with his brother, the President, are blamed for leading the country into its worst economic crisis in history, the island nation on Tuesday gave emergency powers to its military and police to detain people without warrants. With the new powers, the military can detain people for up to 24 hours before handing them over to the police, while the private property can be searched by force, including private vehicles, news agency Reuters reported citing the government’s gazette notification. The president had already declared a state of emergency on Friday as protests escalated, however, defying a nationwide curfew, thousands of protesters swarmed the entrance to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s office in Colombo for the 32nd day to demand that he follow in his brother’s footsteps and quit. The death count rose to eight in the unprecedented violence that erupted on Monday after supporters of former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa attacked peaceful anti-government protesters demanding his ouster over the country’s worst economic crisis that led to acute shortages of staple food, fuel and power. Over 200 people have also been injured in the violence in Colombo and other cities. The crisis is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which has meant that the country cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices.

Here are the latest updates from Sri Lanka:

• Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana on Tuesday asked embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to summon the House as soon as possible to discuss the current situation amid unprecedented violence. There are provisions for the Speaker to summon the House just to discuss the present crisis only, Serjeant – at Arms Narenda Fernando told Daily Mirror. It was reported that the House will be resolved on Tuesday or any day this week.
• A protest began in front of Sri Lanka’s Trincomalee Naval Base on Tuesday after it was reported that former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa and some of his family members took refuge there after leaving their official residence in Colombo, a media report said.
• Mahinda Rajapaksa, 76, who resigned as Sri Lankan Prime Minister yesterday amid unprecedented economic turmoil, is facing calls for his arrest from Opposition politicians for inciting violence against peaceful anti-government protesters. Rajapaksa’s son told the news agency AFP that the former PM will not flee the country.
• The violence that followed Mahinda Rajapaksa’s resignation saw arson attacks on the homes of several politicians, including the ancestral home of the Rajapaksas in Hambantota. A mob also destroyed D A Rajapaksa Memorial – constructed in the memory of the father of Mahinda and Gotabaya – in Medamulana, Hambantota.
• The anti-government protests prompted authorities to impose a nationwide curfew and deploy Army troops in the capital.