Sri Lanka leader declares emergency amid protests

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka's president declared a state of emergency Friday giving him broad authority amid widespread public protests demanding his resignation over the country's worst economic crisis in recent memory.

The decree issued by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa invokes sections of the Public Security Ordinance that allow him to make regulations in the interests of public security, the preservation of public order, the suppression of mutiny, riot or civil commotion, or for the maintenance of essential supplies.

Under the emergency regulations, Rajapaksa can authorize detentions, take possession of any property and search any premises. He can also change or suspend any law.

Police used tear gas and a water cannon twice Friday at protesters near the Parliament criticizing lawmakers for not ousting the president and his government, whom they say are responsible for the economic crisis. Protesters are angry that the lawmakers have elected a government-backed deputy speaker of Parliament with a big majority when the protesters say they should be voting Rajapaksa's government out of power.

At first police fired tear gas at a student-led protest that began Thursday after the election of the deputy speaker in what was seen a key victory for the governing coalition, which was seeing defections and uncertain of a clear majority in Parliament.

Separately, police dispersed more protesters with tear gas Friday night also around Parliament.

Sri Lanka is near bankruptcy having announced it is suspending repayment of its foreign loans and its usable foreign currency reserves plummeting below $50 million. It has $7 billion foreign loan repayments this year out of $ 25 billion to be repaid by 2026. Its total foreign debt is $ 51 billion.

Rajapaksa's announcement comes as protesters occupy the entrance to the...