UN chief urges parties to exercise restraint in Sri Lanka

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 29 (APP)::United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Sunday expressed “great concern” over Sri Lanka’s deepening political crisis, and called for restraint from all parties in the island country, his spokesman said.
“The Secretary-General is following the latest developments in Sri Lanka with great concern,” Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement, referring to Sunday’s shooting by a bodyguard of a former minister at a crowd that resulted in one death and two injuries.
Sri Lankan President, Mathripala Sirisena, suspended the national Parliament for two weeks on Saturday, in an effort to build support for his decision a day earlier, to remove the country’s prime minister following months of disagreement, according to news reports.
Many members of Parliament, and Government ministers denounced the move as unconstitutional, and Sirisena swore in a controversial former president as the new prime minister; Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Sunday’s shooting came amidst street protests which erupted, resulting in a crowd blocking one of the now-sacked cabinet ministers, from entering his office. Reports say the shooting victim died after being admitted to hospital, and two others were injured.
Suspended Prime Minister, Ranil Wickramasinghe, is refusing to accept his dismissal, and is appealing for support among MPs, arguing that he still commands a parliamentary majority, the reports said. He has so far refused to leave the official prime minister’s residence.
In the statement, the Secretary-General called on the Government “to respect democratic values and constitutional provisions and process, uphold the rule of law and ensure the safety and security of all Sri Lankans.”
He urged “all parties to exercise restraint and address the unfolding situation in a peaceful manner.”