Former President Maithripala Sirisena has said that the President and Prime Minister must take immediate steps to prevent the country from descending into anarchy.Issuing a press release, Sirisena said that Sri Lanka was facing the worst-ever crisis since Independence.

“Still some people who are blinded by power continue to make matters worse. Governance is about protecting the security of the country and the people. Trying to protect your interests at all costs is not governance. Because of such people, Sri Lanka has suffered,” the former President has said.

Sirisena said that by the 18th Amendment to the Constitution power had benefited only one man. In 2015, he had taken steps to curb the powers of the President because he saw the danger the post can hold if it falls to the hands of wring people, Sirisena said.

“But the President who came after me concentrated even greater powers from the 20th amendment and we are in this mess because of that. Now the acting President is trying to suppress people and he is imposing curfew on whims and fancies.’

The former President said that the duty of the security forces is to protect the protestors and the people of the country.

“Don’t attack unarmed protestors. I urge the IGP and the tri-forces commanders to act with great restraint. President Rajapaksa and acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe have no mandate to govern. I urge IGP and the tri-forces commanders to think twice when carrying out their orders. I also urge the people to consider state property as their property,” he said.

Sirisena said that both Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe must resign immediately and pave way for a government that has legitimacy in the eyes of the people.

“It is obvious that people are ignoring the directives of Wickremesinghe. He imposed curfew on Wednesday but people from all over ignored his directive and came to Colombo. In fact, the curfew made matters worse. The actions of the acting president is undermining state authority even more,” he said.