US ambassador calls for calm from all parties

COLOMBO: US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung has called for calm from all parties during this time.

“We urge all parties to approach this juncture with a commitment to the betterment of the nation & to work quickly to implement solutions that will bring long-term economic & political stability” she said in a Tweet.

She further said that the US condemns all violence & calls for the rule of law to be upheld.

Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe appeared on television to reiterate that he would not leave until a new government was in place — though he urged the Parliament speaker to find a new prime minister agreeable to both the government and the opposition. It was not clear when that would happen, in part because the opposition is deeply fractured.

Chief of Defense Staff Gen. Shavendra Silva issued another call for calm and asked the public to cooperate with security forces. Similar comments in recent days rankled opposition lawmakers, who insisted that civilian leaders would be the ones to find a solution.