Sri Lankans can take to the streets if presidential poll delayed: PAFFREL

Sri Lanka has a civic population that has the capacity to take to the streets if the government violates the constitution to postpone the presidential elections, Chairman of the People’s Action for Free & Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Rohana Hettiarachchi said.

“Elections don’t belong to political parties, governments or political leaders. Elections belong to the people,” Hettiarachchi said speaking to reporters.

“The presidential election must definitely be held between September 17 and October 17. The president cannot change that, nor can the cabinet, nor Basil Rajapaksa,” he said.

Rajapaksa, the national organiser of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), has said it would be advisable to hold the parliamentary elections before the presidential polls.

Parliamentary elections are not due till 2025, but the president has the authority to dissolve parliament and call for elections. Parliament can also vote to dissolve itself. The SLPP currently holds a majority in Sri Lanka’s legislature.

“It is wholly the responsibility of the election commission to hold the presidential election during this period. The government cannot take decisions on the presidential election,” said Hettiarachchi.

“If for some reason there are attempt to act in violation of the constitution, we believe our country has a citizenry strong enough to take to the streets,” he said.

SLPP leader and former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, Basil’s older brother, has also called for parliamentary elections to be held first.

The Rajapaksa brothers’ argument is that the winner of the presidential election would be able to consolidate power after securing a strong majority at a follow-up general election, which they claim would be not in the best interest of democracy.

The Rajapaksas nor anyone else in the SLPP had voiced this concern when the SLPP went onto secure a two-thirds majority in 2020, months after the party’s candidate and another Rajapaksa brother, Gotabaya, won the 2019 presidential poll won in a landslide.

Opp. says onus on EC to call prez polls, warns against govt. intervention

Dissident SLPP MP Prof. G. L Peiris yesterday (25) said the onus was on the Election Commission (EC) to announce the presidential election on July 17, 2024, even if the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government advanced the parliamentary election.

Addressing the media at his Kirula Place residence, the former External Affairs Minister said that the country expected the EC to act in terms of the presidential election law.

Therefore, there couldn’t be any ambiguity regarding the EC having to conduct presidential elections between Sept 19 and Oct 17, 2024, though the media reported contradictory statements, Prof. Peiris said.

As the current Parliament had completed two and half years of its five-year term, President Wickremesinghe could dissolve it, Prof. Peiris said. Otherwise, the Parliament could endorse a motion calling for early general election and submit it to President Wickremesinghe, Prof. Peiris said.

In terms of Article 70 of the Constitution, the relevant motion should have the backing of the majority of MPs at the time a vote was taken on the motion, Prof. Peiris said, adding that it could be adopted even without the consent of a simple majority in Parliament.

Prof. Peiris dealt with the issue at hand in the wake of continuing disagreement between President Wickremesinghe and the SLPP over advancing the general election ahead of the presidential polls.

UNP leader Wickremesinghe has indicated that the presidential polls would be held first.

Prof. Peiris said that the Opposition wasn’t interested in the ongoing dispute at all. “We want the EC to fulfil its constitutional responsibility by making the announcement as stipulated in the presidential election law,” he said. Recently the former switched his allegiance to the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).

Alleging that President Wickremesinghe and the SLPP feared facing the electorate, Prof. Peiris said that the Opposition expected the current dispensation not to pursue strategies meant to put off presidential polls.

“If parliamentary polls are advanced, President Wickremesinghe will have to take necessary measures to release the required funds from the Consolidated Fund. Rs 10 bn allocated through the 2024 Budget cannot under any circumstances be utilized fully or in part to fund parliamentary polls,” Prof Peiris said.

Referring to the sabotaging of Local Government polls on the false claim of not having required funds, Prof. Peiris urged the government not to seek to put off elections pending electoral reforms. Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, recently proposed that 160 of the 225 MPs in Parliament be elected by the first- past-the-post electorate by electorate system, and the remaining 65 chosen proportionally, either at national or provincial level.

Prof. Peiris said that the Opposition expected the government to conduct elections on time without making silly attempts to put them off through fraudulent means.

Commenting on former President and incumbent SLFP leader Maithripala Sirisena’s recent disclosure that he knew the mastermind of the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage, Prof. Peiris emphasized such claims should be examined, taking into consideration the political environment.

Was he telling the truth or just trying to exploit the heinous crime for some sort of a political advantage, the former Minister asked. The SLPP National List MP questioned the conduct of the former President who was yet to fully pay compensation amounting to Rs 100 mn ordered by the Supreme Court.

Prof. Peiris said that MP Sirisena through his actions brought the Office of the President to disrepute. Responding to a media query, Prof. Peiris said that as a former President, lawmaker Sirisena didn’t enjoy immunity and was now subjected to normal procedures of the law like any other citizen.

Referring to MP Sirisena’s subsequent claim that he received fresh information regarding the mastermind three weeks ago, Prof. Peiris said that the former Defence Minister should have got in touch with the relevant authorities immediately without playing coy about it.

TTD executive officer to visit Sri Lanka to finalise site for Srivari temple

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) executive officer (EO) AV Dharma Reddy is set to visit Sri Lanka to finalise the site where a temple of Lord Venkateswara Swamy will be built. He will leave for the island nation on March 29 and is expected to stay there for four to five days. He will also establish a permanent setup of the temple administration.

According to senior TTD officials, a Sri Lanka-based Trust had approached the Union government through the Government of Sri Lanka, seeking help in the construction of a massive Hindu temple of Lord Venkateswara in their country.

The TTD was apprised of the matter. Subsequently, the Temple Trust approved the construction of the temple in Colombo in a step towards disseminating Hindu dharma.

Dharma Reddy was scheduled to leave for Sri Lanka on March 2, but it was postponed to March 26 and later to March 29, due to some administrative reasons. End of the financial year is often hectic for the Srivari Trust.

According to TTD sources, once the site for the proposed temple is finalised and designs are prepared, the idols for the main temple and sub-temples will be provided by the TTD. They will be sculpted at the TTD-run Sri Venkateswara College of Traditional Sculpture and Architecture in Tirupati.

The Trust will also provide temple motifs and other paraphernalia associated with the temple’s structure, administration, and rituals.

Focus will reportedly be on creating an administrative set up for the proposed temple in the island country on the lines of the Srivari Temple Trust in Tirumala.

Source: The New Indian Express

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Prime Minister leaves for China on five-day official visit

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena left for China last night for a five-day official visit, airport sources said.

They said the Prime Minister had agreed to visit the country on the special invitation of the Chinese government.

During this visit, an agreement is to be reached on the restructuring of the loans given to Sri Lanka by China, whose payments have been suspended.

10 other Sri Lankan delegations have joined the Prime Minister for this visit.

The Prime Minister and his group departed from the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on China Eastern Airlines flight MU-232 at 8.20 p.m. last evening.

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Maithripala summons all SLFP members to Colombo

The Chairman of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), former President Maithripala Sirisena has summoned all members of the party to Colombo for a pivotal meeting scheduled for the weekend.

Political sources revealed that accordingly, the party’s Central Committee members, Executive Committee members, Constituency and District Organizers of the SLFP and all the officials of the affiliated organizations of the party have been called to the party headquarters in order to reach certain crucial decisions.

Furthermore, attendance of all relevant members has been deemed mandatory for this meeting, according to political sources.

A new alliance led by the SLFP will be formed in the near future and it is reported that this process has reached the final stage.

Against this backdrop, a new alliance led by MP Nimal Lanza is set to be formed within April, aiming at supporting the current Head of State Ranil Wickremesinghe, political sources said.

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High-level Lankan teams to visit China and India

Two high-level government visits take place next week, with Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena heading to China and the President’s Chief of Staff and National Security Adviser Sagala Ratnayake due in India.
The Prime Minister will be in China from March 25–29, accompanied by Finance State Minister Shehan Semasinghe and the Prime Minister’s Secretary, Anura Dissanayake. He will have meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Li Qiang and the third-highest member of the Chinese Communist Party.

He will also be the chief guest at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference being held at Boao in South China’s Hainan Province. The event will focus on how the international community could work together to deal with challenges and shoulder responsibility, a statement issued by the organisers said.

National leaders, government officials, heads of international organisations, businesspeople, experts in various fields, and the media have been invited, it said. Panel discussions will be on the global economy, social development, international cooperation and scientific and technological innovation.

Meanwhile, from March 27 to 28, Mr. Ratnayake will lead a delegation to New Delhi. The delegation will include the Secretaries to the Ministries of Transport and Environment, the General Manager of Railways, the Customs Director-General and the Director General of the Chief of Staff’s Office.

The purpose of the visit is to “kick-start the discussion on land connectivity,” official sources said, adding that further details of who the team would meet in India were not available. In a joint statement issued after President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to New Delhi in July last year after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two leaders agreed: “To establish land connectivity between Sri Lanka and India for developing land access to the ports of Trincomalee and Colombo, propelling economic growth and prosperity in both Sri Lanka and India, and further consolidating the miliennia-old relationship between the two countries. A feasibility study for such connectivity will be conducted at an early date.”

It also said the two countries would cooperate to construct a multi-product petroleum pipeline from the southern part of India to Sri Lanka “with an aim to ensure affordable and reliable supply of energy resources to Sri Lanka”. India is already receiving preferential treatment in renewable energy projects in the North.

The delegation is also taking with them a report submitted by the Power and Energy Ministry.

McDonald’s stores shut in Sri Lanka over poor hygiene case

McDonald’s stores across Sri Lanka shut on Sunday after the US fast-food giant launched a legal battle with its local franchise holder over allegations of poor hygiene, court officials said.

The Commercial High Court of Colombo ordered the closures until April 4, after the parent company accused the local franchise holder of failing to meet international hygiene standards.

“The closure was ordered pending an investigation,” a court official said.

He said lawyers for McDonald’s told the court that they had terminated a franchise agreement with local company Abans last week.

The hearing is to resume in early April.

There was no immediate comment either from McDonald’s or Abans, who has held the franchise with 12 outlets since the US firm’s entry into Sri Lanka in 1998.

Notices were seen outside McDonald’s outlets on Sunday saying they were “closed” and there was no indication if or when they may reopen.

When a technology hitch disrupted ordering at stores across much of East Asia last week, Sri Lanka’s McDonald’s stores were unaffected.
(AFP)

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No decision on Gen. Elections yet

The Election Commission (EC) has not been informed of a decision to hold the General Elections, The Sunday Morning learns.

“We haven’t been officially informed of a Parliamentary Election yet and that will only come after the Parliament is dissolved,” EC Chairman R.M.A.L. Rathnayake told The Sunday Morning.

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) National Organiser Basil Rajapaksa has reportedly requested President Ranil Wickremesinghe to hold a snap General Election prior to the Presidential Elections.

“Parliamentary Elections need to be held before August 2025 while the Presidential Election needs to be held between 18 September and 18 October. If Parliament is dissolved, then it is possible to hold a General Election any time before August 2025,” said Rathnayake.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet on Monday (18) approved a proposal to amend existing election laws, leading to concerns among Opposition parties on whether it was an attempt to delay elections.

Multiple attempts to contact SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam, Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunga, and Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Bandula Gunawardana on whether the Government would hold a General Election first proved futile.

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President, Basil meet for second time on elections

President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Basil Rajapaksa, founder, and strategist of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) discussed a key political issue—the contours of the next national election during a near-45-minute meeting on Thursday night.

They met at the President’s former official residence at Mahagam Sekera Mawatha (former Paget Road). The President drove in there after attending the discussion on Economic Development and Modernisation with Lessons from Japan at the Granbell Hotel in Kollupitiya.

As is now known, President Wickremesinghe is working towards a presidential election though he has not formally declared his candidature. He has tasked seniors in his United National Party (UNP) to prepare for the polls. This week he met nearly 200 members at a meeting at the Presidential Secretariat. His Campaign Manager Ronald Perera said discussions focused on improving party activity at the grassroots level. Participants offered different views on using social media in a bigger way during the campaign. “All this will be in vain if you do not make sure people go to vote on polls day. There should be a mechanism to ensure this,” said one participant.

On the other hand, Basil Rajapaksa, soon after his return from the United States, declared that in his personal view, parliamentary elections should be conducted first. He expressed this view to the Sunday Times. Later he had a meeting with a cross-section of his party seniors on the matter. They endorsed his thinking.

Rajapaksa made a formal request from President Wickremesinghe to consider the SLPP’s official request for the parliamentary elections to be held first. He agreed to study the matter. Rajapaksa had drawn an analogy to back his claim. He has said that it was like obtaining comprehensive insurance for a vehicle. Such a cover was being obtained as a matter of preparedness. Similarly, the request for early parliamentary elections was being made. Such a request was coming from the main partner in the government.

Since the machinery for the conduct of a presidential poll has been set in motion, it is highly unlikely President Wickremesinghe will change his mind. On the other hand, nor will SLPP insist on such a move.

Then came the discussion on an important issue—the mode of support from the SLPP. The Sunday Times learns that Rajapaksa told President Wickremesinghe that he could, if he so wished, seek the individual support of some SLPP members. In fact, some of them have voiced support to President Wickremesinghe. In such an event, it would naturally be devoid of the party’s support. On the other hand, if it was the party’s support the President was seeking, it was available, and the required modalities could be worked out. President Wickremesinghe had readily agreed to accept the SLPP support. That way, even the MPs who are with the SLPP will be happy with the arrangement. There is also a much bigger advantage for the SLPP leadership. Their members will have to eventually look to their leaders even at a parliamentary election. It was only that way they would ensure their nominations.

The SLPP issued a brief four-point statement on the Thursday night meeting. It said:” Summary of the discussion between President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Basil Rajapaksa

1. Regarding the issue whether the Parliamentary election or the Presidential elections should be held first, Basil Rajapaksa said, that as a party, they are inclined towards a Parliamentary election. However, he was in no hurry to obtain a final answer to the issue at this discussion itself. He said a decision should be taken considering the benefits for democracy and the will of the people.

2. Rajapaksa also pointed out that there has been some doubt created about the postponement of the parliamentary elections by opening a new dialogue about electoral reforms and that was not healthy. The President had responded saying elections will not be delayed due to the reforms.

3. Rajapaksa pointed out the issues which have arisen due to the postponement of the Local Government elections. One of them was the injustice to the rights of the voters, the other was the issue created by conducting the functions of the local government institutions without the political representatives and the personal and social issues faced by the former local council members.

4. Rajapaksa also pointed out that there needs to be a proper open dialogue with the Buddhist monks and trade union-led nationalist organisations about the economic reforms taking place, about state enterprises, and economic platforms. The President had agreed to this proposal.

Senior UNPers, who do not wish to be named, say that President Wickremesinghe will announce his presidential candidature during their campaign in April. Should he join the fray, he will be an independent candidate. That is to ensure a broader base of political parties extend their support to him. As previously revealed, the presidential election, in terms of the Constitution, will have to be held between September 18 and October 18.

Other than the national elections, the one-on-one between President Wickremesinghe and Basil Rajapaksa, the Sunday Times learns, also covered several other areas. One, a matter of serious concern to the SLPP, was the move by Justice and Constitutional Reforms Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe to introduce electoral reforms. He had forwarded a recommendation to the cabinet of ministers to effect these reforms. A highlight is to elect 160 MPs on a first-past-the-post basis and 65 on a Proportional Representative basis. This proposal was originally made late last year. Rajapaksa pointed out that the move had already led to apprehensions that the government was doing so to put off elections. This position was not only causing concern for the SLPP. Other political parties too have expressed scepticism over it. President Wickremesinghe, it was pointed out, had assured that he would take serious note of the matter raised and not rush through such reforms. It is likely that Minister Rajapakshe’s move will be put on hold. However, Rajapakshe has also made clear that the electoral reforms will not apply for the current elections

This is the second meeting of the SLPP with President Wickremesinghe. The first was when both Mahinda Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa met him to discuss a variety of issues other than the elections. They related to privatisation of state enterprises and the role of their key members in the districts. At Thursday’s meeting too, the issue of some ministers not granting appointments to trade union leaders was discussed.

This week, Basil Rajapaksa addressed the government parliamentary group as well as the trade unions coming under the party. The main purpose was to advise them to bring in crowds for the SLPP May Day rally at Campbell Park in Borella. Already, As reported earlier, the UNP will hold its May Day rally at Independence Square in Torrington. That each side will try a large crowd turnout to demonstrate its political strength is not in doubt.

The SLPP is also preparing itself for a national election campaign. A team of youth are being sent to India. They will visit the BJP headquarters to learn of how the India’s ruling party is running its election campaigns. Two private homes in the vicinity of the SLPP office at Nelum Mawatha in Battaramulla have been commissioned as offices for this purpose. The SLPP recently carried out a survey of its own in the Hambantota district. That, a party official said, included visits from house to house. He claimed that the party found itself strong in most areas though there were shortcomings in some. One of the recorded revelations in the survey—complaints in Hambantota that the voters were unable to meet their parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa. This, it was pointed out, was in marked contrast to his father, Mahinda Rajapaksa. Even during the time of the separatist war, he was available for meetings, it was pointed out. Namal Rajapaksa was in Dubai earlier this week.

The Third Front

In other developments, breakaway groups from the SLPP are planning to form what they called a “third front” by teaming up with the like-minded. The move is being spearheaded by the Uttara Lanka Sabhagaya which is marking its second anniversary with events at the National Youth Centre in Maharagama. Besides leaders of constituent parties of the alliance, also speaking yesterday were Dullas Allahapperuma, Roshan Ranasinghe and Dayasiri Jayasekera. The new front is to be launched on April 5.

NPP focus on youth

In another development, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power leader, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, is in Canada this week. He addressed Sri Lankans at a meeting in Toronto yesterday. At that meeting, he slammed Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva for a speech he made calling upon all parties to join hands against a ‘common enemy.’ “For three decades he has remained a minister. All he has achieved are accusations of wrong doings,” said Dissanayake. A similar meeting is set in Vancouver tomorrow. Such meetings, however, will not bring in votes for the NPP. There is still no legal provision. Before his departure, he addressed a youth rally in Matara. Some highlights of his speech spelt out by the NPP. It makes clear that the party has not made any offer of a concrete programme for the youth in terms of their future.

“There is no doubt that the work started in Matara to gather the youth for the political transformation will become the biggest youth awakening in Sri Lanka. The young generation of our country thought that politics is not their business. It is like work belonging to parents and several families. The young generation was dreaming and planning how to make their lives successful. Today, the dreams they created are being destroyed in front of their eyes. There are several youth groups in our society.

There is a group that has a certain amount of assets with higher education, is proficient in languages, and has knowledge that can cope with the international community to secure their lives, they have made Australia, Canada, England, and New Zealand, which are considered developed countries in the world, the goal of their journey. There is another group, the burden of parents fell on themselves. There is a group whose future dreams and hopes have collapsed. They are trying to escape to Israel, Korea, Middle East to fulfill their hopes. Yet another group had to stop their schooling in the middle and had to do some work to make ends meet during school. They have no life, no purpose, no goal. Many people are joining that group today. That group has become Deshbandhu’s target. They are a generation of insecure, wandering youth who have no value for life. Jagath Manuvarna’s movie “Kodigaha Yata” showed the life of that young generation.

“This country should be transformed into a very safe country. The young generation of this country should be made into a young generation full of expectations for their future. The tragedy unfolding in front of our eyes today forces us to take the lead in changing this. Where do we change this? This can be changed only by transforming the current political path in a new direction. The first struggle to be done is to liberate this country from this tragedy inherited by the politics of mother and father to the country, the people and you. Our country needs such a political transformation.

“Who has written the politics of this country? To his son Matara Wijesekera. Sirisena to his son. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s nephews. This politics is spinning in the hands of a few families. Those few have been named as the saviours of the youth from the lower class. If a son is born to the president, they think that the presidency is engraved on that child’s forehead. Premadasa’s son, Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son, Wijesekera’s son, they think that the presidency and ministership were sealed by Mahabamba at birth. The politics of our country is divided between several families nationally and regionally. The doors of politics have been closed to our young generation who have the ability and desire.

“None of these people came here with politics engraved on their foreheads. They are not the ones who took political responsibilities with Mahabamba tattooed on their foreheads. Why do we enter this politics? There is an unjust and unfair society before our eyes. The lives of our young generations are being destroyed. We all chose this politics to intervene, lead and join in this social transformation. There is a purpose to change this. There is a need for courage for that. What kind of politics does this country want? The young men and women were kept in line, tall and short, and told, “Height is security. A short worker.” This country needs a politics that divides jobs! That is the politics that the young generation has inherited. How many forms did you fill in to get a job at Hambantota Port during the elections? How many applications did skilled warriors fill out? Those guys sit on top and give us labour jobs. Whether they have a brain or not, they have the presidency and ministership engraved on their foreheads. To change this, let’s achieve a new political transformation.

“I entered politics during my school days. The whole youth of many people, including myself, laboured for this new transformation; fought. In the face of various defeats, when death was happening in front of his eyes, I did not give up and chose this politics for a political transformation. We have been faced with various difficulties and insults, and today we have seen the victory. We can win this. By the end of October this year, a new government, a new rule. This government is entrusted with a major task. This society should undergo a complete transformation. It can be done only with the active involvement of the people. A government should be formed and necessary work should be done to fulfill the expectations. In the ‘X’ generation, we become someone who lives with a secure job, a bank account with savings, an organised social corporation, something within the existing society. In Generation Z, you expect transparency. You are going for an interview for a government job. You fall, someone else understands. Our generation accepts that it is so. People of ‘Z’ generation are asking how it happened. He went to the struggle and asked, “How did you get medicine for the hospital?” Transparency is necessary. How were these people chosen for this job? How did you choose the contractor? How many marks did you get for the paper you wrote? These are being questioned today. Generation Z expects transparency. It is characteristic of your generation. We are creating a government of the National People’s Power that will protect the transparency that today’s youth is looking for.

“This ‘Z’ generation expects creativity. It is not a generation confined to one place. You want to quickly express the creativity that is building within you. Our generation is following the path that was made for us. This generation travels in many byways. There are many people who have come up economically and socially. It came from other big roads. But is our society a society that can absorb your creativity? Our leaders are working in the mindset of the pre-Christian era, old social concepts. When they got on the stage, they had five Navaratna rings on their five fingers. Hands tied with threads given by each temple. Basil Rajapakse goes to a temple to escape a case. The case has been closed. These failed tribal leaders have locked down your creativity. A government of the National People’s Power will build the socio-economic structures necessary to advance the creativity of these children.

“Independence is a hallmark of Generation Z. Our youth should have followed the path created by teachers and parents in a framework. Had to live as dutiful citizens. The new generation does not like traditional jobs, no longer willing to do the job in the same way, subject to a master. You demand independence. Our economic model is designed to target the small and medium scale entrepreneurs. They have become the engine of our economy. Acquiring a share of the world market through IT has become our economic vision. We have developed the necessary vision to transform the tourism industry from a hotel industry into a tourism business. The right to engage in independent employment with autonomy has been confirmed. You are a fast-growing generation. Although you are growing fast, the country’s economy is coming behind you. What do they say? They say there is no suitable job for you. The problem here is that they have failed to build an economy that matches your knowledge. The economy stagnates. You become useless to yourself and the country. If your rapid growth does not catch up with socio-economic transformations at an equally rapid rate, then this society will become an unsuitable society for you. We will create an economy that is as fast as your growth……”

IMF agreement

Another significant development this week is the announcement by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation that Sri Lanka will receive Special Drawing Rights up to 254 million (about US$337 million), the second tranche. The President’s Media Division said, “This agreement, reached after constructive talks in Colombo, underscores the commitment to economic reform and stability. Once approved by the IMF Management and completed by the IMF Executive Board, Sri Lanka stands to gain access to SDR 254 million (about US$337 million) in financing, further bolstering the nation’s economic resilience.

“The IMF stated that key reforms in macroeconomic policies are showing promising results, with initial signs of growth and positive outcomes in areas such as disinflation and reserve accumulation. However, sustaining this momentum and addressing governance weaknesses and corruption vulnerabilities remain pivotal for fostering lasting recovery and ensuring stable and inclusive growth.

The completion of the review by the IMF’s Executive Board hinges on the implementation of prior actions by authorities and the successful completion of financing assurances review, which includes confirming multilateral partners’ financing contributions and making adequate progress with debt restructuring.

“Mr. Peter Breuer, IMF Senior Mission Chief, and Ms. Katsiaryna Svirydzenka, Deputy Mission Chief, issued a statement commending Sri Lanka’s progress under the EFF. They emphasised the importance of maintaining the reform trajectory to navigate challenges and foster economic resilience.

“The IMF mission team, comprising senior officials, engaged with various stakeholders, including government officials, parliamentarians, private sector representatives, and civil society organisations, underscoring the collaborative approach to economic revitalisation…..”

Party leaders have decided that Parliament will meet on Monday April 1 and Tuesday April 2 for government business. A three-day debate on a vote of no confidence against Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, as expected, was defeated in Parliament.

This week’s developments come as further proof that election-related activity is on the increase. The May Day rallies of the main political parties are set to show their strength and we are bound to see an escalation.

NPP will not allow new parliamentary electoral system before Presidential polls: AKD

The National People’s Power (NPP) will not allow the government to implement the proposed Constitutional Amendments to introduce a new parliamentary electoral system before the Presidential polls, NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said.

Speaking at a meeting with the Sri Lankan community in Toronto, Canada, he said the government was making every effort to evade a national election at this juncture as they are purturbed with the predictions that they are going to lose power.

“They are afraid of transfering power to the people.That is why there has been hesitation on elections.The government has now presented a Cabinet Paper to introduce a new electoral system. We will assure you that we will not allow any opportunity for the government to do it before the Presidential election,” he said.

Dissanayake said hnBasil Rajapaksa and his team were now harping to conduct the parliamentary elections before the Presidentail election as they are now certain that they cannot secure at least some parliamentray seats if the Presidential polls are held first.

He said however, according to the Constitution, the President has the discretion to dissolve Parliament at any moment and added that Parliament cannot be dissolved by passing a resolution in Parliament.

“The Presidential election has been held before the parliamentray election on three occassions in 2010, 2015 and 2019,” he said.

Responding to a question, he said the NPP was ready to form a government with individuals whom the NPP can agree and allign with in the event of the NPP failing to secure 113 seats.

“If we are able to secure some 105 seats, it means that the people are ready to accept our government. So, in that case, we will join with individuals whom we can agree and allign with. We will not allign with political forces but individuals,” he said.