The underlying motive behind the imposition of the state of emergency is revealed in the government press release !

The government says the president enforced the state of emergency with the aim of ensuring political stability and maintaining a normal life.

This was stated by the Director General of Government Information, Mohan Samaranayake in a statement.

It noted that the "impassioned protests" that have been taking place throughout the island, including in the capital, over the past several days have posed a serious threat to public safety.

It added that the state of emergency was imposed only as a short-term measure to resolve the crisis and would be lifted as soon as it was restored.