Sri Lanka’s acting president declares emergency to curb protests ahead of voting

Parliament is expected to vote to elect a president to lead the cash-strapped nation

Sri Lanka’s acting president has again declared a state of emergency in the nation ahead of the presidential election in parliament as the leadership struggled to contain public anger.

In a government notice released late on Sunday, Ranil Wickremesinghe announced the state of emergency for the “protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services” to the people.

“It is expedient, so to do, in the interests of public security, the protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community,” the notification stated.