Author: TELO Admin

Sri Lanka Police says investigations have revealed that the death threats to the members of the Election Commission via phone calls have been carried out from a foreign country.

Police Media Spokesperson SSP Nihal Thalduwa said that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has initiated an investigation regarding the relevant phone calls.

Three members of the Election Commission have received death threats through phone calls so far, and they have made complaints to the Police regarding the threats.

Furthermore, SSP Nihal Thalduwa mentioned that preliminary investigations have been initiated in accordance with the received complaints.

The Election Commission member M. M. Mohamed, had received death threats over a phone call on January 27, to resign from his position in the Commission.

Meanwhile, Commission Member S. B. Diwaratne, who received such threats earlier this month, was also reportedly threatened once again the same day, demanding the same.

On 18 January, two members of the Election Commission, namely S. B. Diwaratne and K. P. P Pathirana, hadreceived death threats, demanding that they resign from their posts, following which an investigation has already been launched by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

They were also provided with the required police protection upon informing the Chairman of the Commission in this regard, while the CID also inspected their residences, and recorded statements from those related.

Moreover, speaking at a press conference held yesterday (Jan. 28), Executive Director of the People’s Action for Free and Fair Election (PAFFREL) Rohana Hettiarachchi noted that all three threats had been made using the same phone number.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe is expected to open a line of communication with Chinese Government leaders in order to finalise the ongoing debt restructuring negotiations with Sri Lanka’s key bilateral creditors including China, The Sunday Morning learns.

The delay in finalising Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring programme, especially with the key bilateral creditors – Japan, India, and China – has also resulted in the delay in moving ahead with the proposed Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

However, India was the first among Sri Lanka’s creditors to officially communicate to the IMF its support for Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring and financing programme.

Japan last week also expressed support for Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring programme through the Paris Club, leaving only China to make an official statement on the matter.

The Export-Import (Exim) Bank of China recently sent a letter to the Finance Ministry stating that it supported Sri Lanka’s EFF with the IMF and that China could offer a two-year debt moratorium.

A highly-placed Government source told The Sunday Morning that the IMF had however informed the Sri Lankan Government that the Chinese proposal was not adequate to proceed with the fund’s planned programme.

“The IMF has been very clear on its expectations on the debt restructuring programme and it has said that in relation to bilateral creditors, it should be a uniform programme for all such creditors. India and Japan have understood and agreed. But China has not responded as expected,” the source noted.

“China has so far not supported the debt restructuring programme,” the source added.

When asked if President Wickremesinghe would reach out to Chinese Government leaders to reach a consensus on the debt restructuring issues, the Government source explained that the Chinese Government was continuing to direct the Sri Lankan Government to negotiate with the Exim Bank of China on the issue of debt restructuring.

“The President will therefore intervene this week to open a line of communication with Chinese Government leaders in order to reach an agreement on debt restructuring,” the source observed.

“Everything is hanging in the balance until China comes around,” the source noted.

It is also learnt that Paris Club is expected to release a statement this week extending support to Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring programme.

The Paris Club, it is learnt, has proposed a 10-year debt moratorium and 15-year debt restructuring for Sri Lanka, which will provide the country adequate time to get its financial issues in order.

According to the source, several countries outside the Paris Club like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have also agreed to support Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring programme.

It is in such a backdrop that Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe had told a foreign media outlet that he was hopeful of completing debt restructuring negotiations in the next six months.

Former Secretary General of the United Nations and Chairman of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Ban Ki-moon is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka on February 06, President’s Senior Adviser on Climate Change, Ruwan Wijewardena said.

Ban Ki-moon, who is coming to Sri Lanka at the invitation of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, will sign several agreements related to sustainable development in Sri Lanka as well as related to climate change.

The former UN Chief is expected to hold discussions on the climate change university proposed to be established in Sri Lanka.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe proposed to establish an International University on Climate Change in Sri Lanka with the support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in order to enable students from any country in the world to engage in educational activities.

Former UN Secretary General is scheduled to meet with President Ranil Wickremesinghe on February 7.

The United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland will undertake an official visit to Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, and Qatar next week.

The Department of State announced that Under Secretary of State Nuland will travel to Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, and Qatar from January 28 to February 3, 2023.

During her visit to Sri Lanka, Under Secretary Nuland will mark the 75th anniversary of U.S.-Sri Lanka relations which coincides with Sri Lanka’s 75th anniversary of Independence.

Under Secretary Nuland will also offer continued U.S. support for Sri Lanka’s efforts to stabilize the economy, protect human rights, and promote reconciliation, the State Department announcement said.

In Nepal, Under Secretary Nuland will engage with the new government on the broad agenda of the U.S. partnership with Nepal.

While in India, the Under Secretary will lead the U.S.-India annual “Foreign Office Consultations” which cover the full range of bilateral, regional, and global issues. She will also meet with young tech leaders.

And finally, in Qatar, the Under Secretary will discuss global issues under the framework of the U.S.-Qatar Strategic Dialogue.

“She will also engage counterparts on Qatar’s critical support for the relocation of Afghans with ties to the United States and our bilateral arrangement on the protection of U.S. interests in Afghanistan,” the statement added.

Another member of the Election Commission has reportedly received death threats over the phone last night.

Commission member M.M Mohammed, had been threatened to resign from his post.

Also, Election Commison member S.B. Divaratna who received death threats earlier had received death threats once again yesterday.

Earlier, the Criminal Investigations Department had launched investigations after Commission members K.P.P. Pathirana and S.B. Divaratna were threatened with death if they did not resign from the Commission.

Accordingly, armed police officers have been deployed to provide security to the residences of those two members.

Police said M.M Mohammed reportedly received a threatening call last night while S.B. Divaratna received a threatening text though Whatsapp.

Police said steps were taken to provide necessary police protection to the election commission members.