Sri Lanka PM Ranil Wickremesinghe instructs military, police to ‘restore order’

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday instructed the military and police “to do what is necessary to restore order”. This comment by the prime minister comes as he was making a televised statement after protesters attacked his office.

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The protesters “want to stop me from discharging my responsibilities as acting president,” he said.

“We can’t allow fascists to take over,” he added.

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On Wednesday, security forces took to the streets to control the mob, and even shot several rounds of tear gas shells to keep the situation from worsening further. The agitators, who see the PM as an ally of Rajapaksa, were heard chanting, “Ranil go home!”

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A state of emergency has been declared across the country by Wickremesinghe within his power as the acting President. He also imposed a curfew in the western province.

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Meanwhile, Sri Lankan authorities confirmed earlier in the day that Rajapaksa along with his wife and two bodyguards fled to Male in Maldives after full approval of the country’s defence ministry. He landed at the Velana International Airport in Male late on Tuesday night on a Lankan Air Force plane.

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On Wednesday, Rajapaksa is expected to step down, as announced earlier by parliamentary speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. In a televised message, Abeywardena said that Rajapaksa has informed him of sending a resignation letter today itself.