Sri Lanka extends state of emergency 1 month
July 27, 2022
Despite objections by opposition lawmakers, Sri Lanka's Parliament on Wednesday extended the country's state of emergency for a month.
Lawmakers voted 120 to 63 in favor of the extension.
The state of emergency was declared as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country earlier this month after mass unrest over the island nation's economic crisis.
His successor, acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe, made the emergency decree to help stabilize the situation.
Constitutionally, the state of emergency needed to be passed in Parliament within two weeks of the presidential declaration if it was to be continued.
A state of emergency allows troops to arrest and detain suspects and the president to make regulations overriding existing laws to deal with any unrest.
Singapore extends Rajapaksa's stay
Also on Wednesday, two sources familiar with the matter told the Reuters news agency that Singapore would allow Rajapaksa to stay for an additional 14 days.
He and his wife flew to the Maldives and then to Singapore.
A short-term visit pass was issued when Rajapaksa arrived on a private visit two weeks ago, but it has now been extended to August 11.
At the time, Singapore's government said he had not been granted asylum and was in the country on a private visit.
On Tuesday, Sri Lanka's Cabinet spokesperson, Bandula Gunawardena, told reporters that Rajapaksa was expected to return home.
The International Truth and Justice Project, an NGO based in South Africa, said on Sunday that it was seeking Rajapaksa's arrest for crimes committed during the country's 2009 civil war. The Rajapaksa family's role in that conflict helped explain how it came to dominate Sri Lankan politics in the subsequent years, with Gotabaya a senior military officer before starting his political career.
U.S. Agency for International Development urges China to restructure Sri Lanka's debt
USAID chief Samantha Power called on China to help Sri Lanka and other countries which had accumulated debt from Beijing with debt restructuring, instead of emergency loans and lines of credit, on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka declared bankruptcy and has defaulted repayment on its $51 billion foreign loans. The crisis has evoked severe shortages of fuel, cooking gas and medicine as well as long queues for essential supplies, which ultimately led to the massive protests and political turmoil.
To obtain a rescue package from the International Monetary Fund, the Sri Lankan government is currently preparing a debt restructuring plan. China accounts for 10% of the country's debt. So far, it has refused to offer a debt cut.
Asia Cup relocated to UAE
Meanwhile, organizers on Wednesday decided to relocate a major cricket tournament that was scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka, starting in late August. Cricket is by far the most popular sport in Sri Lanka.
The Asia Cup Twenty20 tournament was relocated to the United Arab Emirates due to the current situation in Sri Lanka, the Asian Cricket Council said.
"Considering the prevailing situation in Sri Lanka, the ACC after extensive deliberation has unanimously concluded that it would be appropriate to relocate the tournament from Sri Lanka to UAE," said an ACC statement.
lo, los/msh (dpa, Reuters)