The State of Public Emergency in Sri Lanka has been extended with effect from yesterday (28), through an extraordinary gazette notification issued under the signature of the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
The proclamation was made by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake under the powers vested in him by Section 2 of the Public Security Ordinance (Chapter 40), as amended by Act No. 8 of 1959, Law No. 6 of 1978 and Act No. 28 of 1988. Accordingly, the provisions of Part II of the Ordinance have been brought into operation across the entire country.
The extension has been declared to ensure public safety, maintain the normal functioning of the state, and safeguard the continuity of essential supplies and services required for public life.
President Dissanayake first declared a State of Public Emergency on November 29 following the landfall of Cyclone Ditwah, which caused widespread devastation across large parts of the island.
