A year since the coup: Lamp-lighting ceremony at Independence Square today

A lamp-lighting ceremony has been organised at Independence Square, to commemorate one year since President Maithripala Sirisena sparked a massive constitutional crisis, by controversially appointing former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister on 26 October 2018.

The vigil has been organised by the Civil Society and Trade Union Collective at 7 p.m. at Independence Square today, to mark the one year anniversary of the political turmoil that shocked the nation. 

The ceremony was to resolve to end the darkness of that dark era forever, the event organisers said, urging all citizens to participate in remembering not only the attempted power grab, but also the people’s courage to resist and reverse it.