The Sri Lanka Parliament on Monday passed the ‘state of emergency’ with claims to seize hidden food stocks amid soaring prices of food and essential items. The ruling Gotabaya Rajapaksa government passed the state of emergency with majority votes, with the opposition parties complaining that the law is a danger to democracy, rights and freedom of expression as the same law could be used to suppress dissent voices against the government.
Rajapaksa, on August 30, gazetted state of emergency as a means to maintain food supplies and essential services during the Covid-19 pandemic. The regulations had to be passed by the Parliament within 14 days. The President also appointed a senior military official in a new post titled Commissioner General of Essential Services to control the distribution of essential consumer goods, including paddy, rice and sugar.
