President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has declared a state of emergency in Sri Lanka by the issuing a extraordinary gazette, singed yesterday the 30th August according to legal sources.
The gazette is still in Sinhala language only.
The reference of “Section 2 of the Public Security Ordinance (Chapter 40) as amended by Act No. 8 of 1959 and Act No. 6 of 1978 and Act No. 28 of 1988 of the National State Assembly” means that state of emergency has been declared, a senior lawyer told Sri Lanka Brief.
Usually the section 2 of the Public Security Ordinance was also gazetted.
Now the President has powers to declare any act without going through the normal procedures, according to number of lawyers.
For instance the President can impose a media censorship by a decree.
Senior lawyer and parliamentarian Sumanthiran on the Gazette:
Rough translation of the Gazette fellows:
Given the rapid spread of the Covid-19 epidemic throughout Sri Lanka, I think it is opportune to do so in order to ensure public safety and the well – being of the country and to maintain essential supplies and services to the people, due to the existence of a public emergency in Sri Lanka. Since;
I, President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, as per the powers vested in me by Section 2 of the Public Security Ordinance (Chapter 40) as amended by Act No. 8 of 1959 and Act No. 6 of 1978 and Act No. 28 of 1988 of the National State Assembly, I hereby declare that the Emergency Regulations for the Supply of Essential Foods, enacted in accordance with the provisions of Article 5 thereof, shall come into force from this moment on August 30, 2012, throughout Sri Lanka.
Signed in Colombo on 30th August, 2121.