Sirisena calls on armed forces, Police to ensure safety of protesters

Thursday, 14 July 2022 00:23 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Says President, PM must resign rather than provoking people
Says problems caused by handful of power-hungry people clinging onto power
Calls on public to respect public property

Former President Maithripala Sirisena

Former President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday called for the resignation of both President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, saying that any attempt by them to cling onto

power will lead to anarchy in the country.

“What is happening in the country today is unprecedented and has been caused by a handful of power-hungry people trying to cling onto power,” Sirisena said in a statement.

He said governance should be aimed at safeguarding the people and not at individuals and said the duty of the security forces personnel too is to safeguard the protestors.

He appealed to the IGP and the heads of the armed forces to refrain from acting violently against the peaceful protesters and to think twice before following directives from the acting President as he did not have a mandate to govern.

He also called on the public to respect public property and not damage them.

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