Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed as Acting President

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has informed the Speaker of Parliament that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has been appointed as the Acting President of Sri Lanka.

“I was informed that under article 37 (1) of the Constitution, as His Excellency the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is away from the country, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has been appointed to cover the duties and function of that position,” he said. 

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced this in a brief statement made to the media today (13).

Reacting to the appointment, Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa said, "PM becomes acting President only if President appoints him, his office falls vacant, or CJ in consultation with Speaker forms view that President is unable to act. Without these, PM can't exercise President's power and can't declare a curfew."

Massive protests rocked the island country on Wednesday as agitators gathered outside the Prime Minister's office at Flower Road in Colombo and residence, propmting Wickremesinghe to declare a state of emergency in the country. A curfew has also been imposed. He has also ordered the security forces to arrest people acting in a riotous manner.

Visuals showed Sri Lankan police using tear gas outside the premises of PM Ranil Wickremesinghe's residence in Colombo to disperse the protesters. Sounds of gunshots fired in the air were also heard.