Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency in the country giving sweeping powers to security forces.

This development comes amid the growing dissatisfaction of the citizens over the government's handling of the country's worst economic crisis in decades.

An overnight curfew has been imposed in several parts of Colombo by the Sri Lankan police early on Friday (April 1) after protests outside President Rajapaksa's residence turned violent.

According to Article 155 of the constitution, the President has the sole discretion to declare a state of emergency by way of proclamation and the declaration of the same cannot be challenged in courts.

The proclamation issued by the President is valid for one month. The Parliament must approve it within 14 days. If not approved, the Proclamation will expire.

The nation of 22 million is facing severe shortages of essentials, sharp price rises and crippling power cuts in its most painful downturn since independence from Britain in 1948.

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