Sri Lanka's acting president says military appointed to maintain law, order

COLOMBO, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday said a committee, comprising the chief of defence staff, military commanders, and the inspector general of police, has been appointed to control the situation in the nation after protesters took over the Prime Minister's Office.

In a televised speech, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, who was appointed as the acting president by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, said that the committee had also been instructed to ensure the security and the safety of the citizens during the ongoing protests.

Protesters surrounded the Prime Minister's Office in Colombo on Wednesday, calling for the resignation of Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe.

Rajapaksa, who left for the Maldives earlier on Wednesday, was expected to hand in his resignation from the presidency later in the day amid a severe economic crisis.

Wickremesinghe, as the acting president, on Wednesday declared a nationwide state of emergency and a curfew in the Western Province including in the capital Colombo.