Embattled Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Sunday said that he will consider looking into the proposals put forward by the influential lawyers' body to end the conꦍtinued political and economic stability in the country, which is now under a state of emerge൲ncy.
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has proposed a 11-point plan, which among other things, has called for the setting ♍up of an interim government that would even⭕tually lead to the abolition of the presidential system of governance.
𝓡“The President would consider them within the constitutional framework,” a statement issued by the President’s Office said.
The lawyers’ body held meetings on Sunday with Presid🐬ent Rajapaksa, his older brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the main opposition leader, Sajith Premadasa, former President Maithripala Sirisena and a delegation of the ruling SLPP coalition to formulate to plan to end the current deadlock facing the island nation.
The BASL had explained the framework of its proposals and answereꦫd questions on these implementation and concerns raised by the stake holders, a statement said.
The lawye🔜rs’ body on Sa✃turday urged the President to repeal a state of emergency, which was imposed after a general strike brought the island nation to a standstill.
"We call upon His Excellency to revoke the proclamation decꦅlaring a state of emergency and to ensure that the fundamental rights of the people... are respected and protected,"ܫ the BASL said in a statement.
In a special Cabinet meeting ﷽on Friday, President Rajapaksa decl⛄ared a state of emergency with effect from Friday midnight.
This is the second time that e♚mergency was declared in Sri Lanka in just over a month.
Rajapaksa had declared an emergency on April 1 as well a🅰fter a mass protest erupted outside his private residence. He revoked it on April 5.
The announcement came amid weeks of protes꧙ts demanding the resignation of the President and the government, blaming the powerf🅰ul Rajapaksa clan for the mishandling of the island nation’s economy, which is already upended by the pandemic.
The President has faced flak from the Opposition and foreign envoys for his dܫecision, which gives security forces sweeping powers to arbitrarily arrest and detain people.
Meanwhile, the independent group of the ruling coalit⭕ion said that they would urge the leader of the main Oppositi🎀on SJB, Sajith Premadasa, to take over the interim government.
Premadasa on Sunday had declined the offer to be the countr🌜y’s interim Prime Minister. SJB said that they would also press for a no-trust vot✃e against the government at the earliest.
The SJB has 54 🗹seats in the 225-member assembly and would need the support of the ruling coalition dissidents to make up the 113 seats required for a simple majority.
Sri Lanka is currentlyཧ in the throes of unprecedented economic turmoil since its inde𒁃pendence from Britain in 1948.
The crisis is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which has meant that the country cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages 🙈and v♓ery high prices.
Thousands of demonstrators have hit the streets across Sri Lanka since April 9, as the government ran out of money for vital imports; prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed and there are acute shortages in fuel, medicines and electricity supply.(With PTI inputs)
