CPS Expresses Serious Concern Over Continued State of Emergency
24-Jun-2026.
The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) has expressed serious concern over the continued extension of the State of Emergency that was initially imposed following the devastation caused by Cyclone “Ditwah”. The organisation has urged the Government to immediately revoke the emergency regulations and take steps to safeguard the fundamental rights of citizens.
In a statement, the CPA noted that it remains deeply concerned about the repeated extensions of the State of Emergency and called upon President Anura Kumara Dissanayake not to prolong it further. It also urged Parliament to reject any further extension and instead ensure the protection of constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights.
The President extended the emergency by another month through Extraordinary Gazette No. 2490/06, effective from May 28. The proclamation was subsequently approved by Parliament through a majority vote on June 9. The emergency is due to expire on June 26.
The CPA stressed that any measures relating to national security and disaster management should be undertaken within the framework of ordinary law, thereby reaffirming the Government’s commitment to constitutional governance and human rights.
The organisation recalled that it had previously criticised the emergency declared in November last year to address the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, noting that regulations introduced in December bore no direct relation to disaster management. Following a legal challenge before the Supreme Court, the Government amended certain provisions.
The CPA further noted that Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya informed Parliament in May that the extension was being justified on the basis of regional conflicts in the Middle East and their impact on supply chains. The organisation observed that successive governments have increasingly relied on emergency powers, a trend it described as troubling.
It emphasised that emergency powers are extraordinary measures that should be used only as a last resort and for a strictly limited period. The CPA warned that the latest extension poses risks to democratic governance, the rule of law and fundamental rights, as it grants sweeping powers to the Executive. Continuing such measures without a clear and reasonable explanation, particularly six months after the cyclone disaster, is unacceptable, the statement added.
