“All efforts will be made to restore political stability through consensus, within constitutional mandate & to resolve economic crisis,” the embattled President tweeted.
Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Tuesday appealed for peace, as the mostly peaceful anti-government protests on the island nation took an extremely violent turn. “I appeal and urge people to remain calm & stop violence & acts of revenge against citizens, irrespective of political affiliations,” Rajapaksa said on Twitter.
Also Read | India underlines ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy as Sri Lanka protests escalate
“All efforts will be made to restore political stability through consensus, within constitutional mandate & to resolve economic crisis,” he said.
The 72-year-old leader’s appeal came a day after Sri Lanka witnessed its bloodiest day of the ongoing nationwide stir. In the country’s largest city of Colombo, supporters of President Gotabaya attacked anti-government protesters; overall, at least eight people were killed and more than 200 injured in Colombo and other cities on Sunday.
Also Read | Sri Lanka crisis: Senior Colombo cop attacked, had to be rescued | 10 points
While authorities clamped a curfew and brought in the army, angry protesters went on a rampage and attacked the prime minister’s official residence in the city; Mahinda Rajapaksa–the President’s older brother–had resigned in the wake of the Colombo clashes. The military was forced to intervene to the now-former premier and his family.
According to some reports, Mahinda Rajapaksa is holed up at a naval base in the southern town of Trincomalee.
Also Read | Ex-PM Mahinda Rajapaksa will not flee Sri Lanka after deadly clashes: Son
Sri Lanka is in the throes of its worse economic crisis since 1948, when it won freedom from the British rule. Protests began in the second week of March and soon gained momentum to spread across the length and breadth of this country of 22 million inhabitants. A state of emergency is currently in effect, for the second time this year.
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