Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe has directed the Ministry of Public Administrations & Home Affairs to declare September 19 a day of mourning in view of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

A statement from the president’s office said on Friday September 09 that the national flag will be hoisted at half-mast.

In a condolence message tweeted earlier in the day, President Wickremesinghe said the queen was a symbol of stability and endurance and will be greatly missed.

In a statement released prior to the tweet, the president’s office said that, as a mark of respect on the passing of the queen, who was the Head of the Commonwealth and Queen of Ceylon 1952-72, the Ministry of Public Administration has been instructed that the national flag be flown at half-mast in all public buildings on Friday.

Sri Lanka’s parliament also observed a two-minute silence before it began proceedings on Friday. (

Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa also tweeted his condolences Friday afternoon.

Former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, too, took to Twitter to express his sympathies, calling the departed queen a “beacon of stability.”

Courtesy:Economy Next