Sri Lanka declares emergency after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flees, PM appointed acting Prez

Sri Lanka News: Sri Lanka on Wednesday declared a state of emergency after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the island nation amid deepening economic crisis. Rajapaksa was slated to announce his resignation on Wednesday as promised. 

However, Rajapaksa in the wee hours today fled the country via Sri Lanka Air Force's Antonov-32 aircraft and has taken shelter in the Maldivian capital of Male.

Air Force later justified the act saying that the president is entitled to exercise such a travel.

As protestors hit the streets and resorted to violence and vandalism of properties, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe declares a state of emergency in the Western Province including the capital Colombo with immediate effect. Security forces have been directed to arrest people acting in a riotous manner and seize the lorries they are travelling in.

Meanwhile, protesters surrounded the office of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is tipped to be acting president in the absence of head of the state.

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As the president did not step down as demanded by the protesters, they have called people to flock to the capital. The police and the military used heavy force, including tear gas and shooting in the air, to chase away protesters who are aiming to take over Prime Minister`s office.

There is a tense situation outside Prime Minister`s Office as police and military personnel started shooting in air after heavy tear gas attack, the BBC reported.

Sri Lankan protesters are staying defiant in the face of a nationwide curfew imposed by the Prime Minister`s office on Wednesday.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Acting President in accordance with the Article 37.1 of the Constitution, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardhane said on Wednesday.

He added in a special statement that the President has informed him that the Prime Minister was appointed as the Acting President as he was away from the country, the Daily Mirror reported.

Rajapaksa is accused of mismanaging Sri Lanka's economy as the country has run out of foreign exchange to finance even the most essential imports, leading to severe hardships for its over 22 million people.