COLOMBO (News 1st); The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) has called on President Ranil Wickremesinghe to issue a public apology pertaining to the raid conducted at GotaGoGama protest site early morning today (22).

Issuing a statement, the CPA also called for an independent investigation to be conducted into the circumstances of the ‘attack’ on citizens, media and lawyers and to hold perpetrators to account, and to revoke the proclamation declaring a State of Emergency and other relevant Emergency Regulations.

While condemning the violent attacks by authorities on the protestors, lawyers and media personnel, the CPA notes that the attacks are heinous as they came hours after the protestors publicly expressed their desire to leave the premises, and allow the newly-appointed President time to prove himself.

“The attack comes less than 24 hours after Ranil Wickremesinghe took oaths as the President and when Sri Lanka is confronted with multiple crises. As President and the commander-in-chief of the Armed forces, Mr. Wickremesinghe must take responsibility for these actions,” the statement reads.

Furthermore, CPA states that the multiple crises faced by Sri Lanka cannot be resolved by a single political party or by having recourse to the powers of the Executive Presidency.

In fact, the CPA emphasizes that the powers of the Executive Presidency have shown themselves to be a driver of instability and conflict in Sri Lanka over the past four decades, and therefore calls for a multi-party Government.

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