A state of emergency will remain in Sri Lanka until the political situation stabilizes

The country’s parliament has extended the state of emergency in economically and politically tumultuous Sri Lanka.

The draconian emergency law imposed to restore order across the country has been extended for the next month. The announcement came after the country’s parliament voted.

In this regard, 120 MPs voted in favor of extending the state of emergency out of 225 members of the Lankan Parliament on Wednesday.

63 MPs stood against it. Emergency Ordinance, which gives the military the power to arrest and detain suspects for long periods of time.

If not passed by the Parliament, the state of emergency would have ended on Wednesday.

Ranil Wickramasinghe issued a state of emergency across the country on July 17 while he was acting president.

When Gotabaya Rajapaksa stepped down from the presidency, Ranil was elected president in a vote in the parliament.

• After that, he promised to resolve the situation by forming the government. However, he urged the people of the country to cooperate with the government.
• Opposition parties, meanwhile, criticized the state of emergency as a move by the government to suppress dissidents.
• The country’s police said in a separate statement on Wednesday that they had arrested protesters Kusal Sandaruan and Weranga Puspika on charges of unlawful assembly.

Earlier on Tuesday evening, student leader Dhaniz Ali was arrested while boarding a Dubai-bound flight at the country’s main airport. According to the police, there was an arrest warrant against him in the magistrate court case.

Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tough stance in suppressing the protesters to restore order across the country is not well received by many.🔱