As Sri Lankan crisis escalates, US urges President to reconvene Parliament

The US has shown concerned about the Political turmoil going on in Sri lanka from last couple of days and has urged Sri lankan President to immediately resolve the crisis.

Heather Nauert, Spokesperson of the US department of the state said, "The United States continues to follow developments in Sri Lanka with concern. We urge all sides to refrain from intimidation and violence. We call on the President, in consultation with the Speaker, to immediately reconvene parliament and allow the democratically elected representatives of the Sri Lankan people to fulfill their responsibility to affirm who will lead their government".

On Friday, President Maithripala Sirisena fired Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and installed a former strongman as the new prime minister, triggering political chaos in the country.

The crisis turned deadly on Sunday when the bodyguard of a former cabinet minister fired on a crowd, killing at least one person and wounding two others.

Former petroleum minister, Arjuna Ranatunga, was a member of the cabinet that President Maithripala Sirisena dissolved on Saturday, one day after ousting Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister and swearing in the former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The gunfire broke out when Arjuna Ranatunga tried to enter his office at the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corp. and was confronted by a group of workers loyal to the president.

The guard opened fire, a police spokesman, Ruwan Gunasekera, said, killing one person and injuring two others, one critically. The guard was arrested.