SRI LANKA: Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Ranil Wickremesinghe, called all the political parties of the country to form a government. The decision comes from observing the deteriorating economic crisis of the country.
The announcement was made during the third session of the Parliament after the seven-day long adjournment. He was presenting the policy statement to the parliament when he urged that all the parties should come together in favour of the country.
“All parties must get together to steer the country,” he told the lawmakers.
He also told the parliament that he is already in talks with the International Monetary Funds (IMF) for a bail-out package that would start in August itself. “We are confident of successfully completing discussions,” he said.
Wickremesinghe also extended thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for India’s support to his country in the tough times.
He stated that the debt restructuring plan is in its final stages of band and added that the economic restructuring plan would also be placed in the parliament during the interim budget that is soon to be presented.
President Wickremesinghe was received in front of Parliament with a Tri-Force Guard of Honour. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and the Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayaka welcomed the President at the entrance of the Parliament building.
Wickremesinghe was elected President by lawmakers on July 20, the first such occasion since 1978.
The 73-year-old president was appointed to serve out the remainder of the term of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country and resigned on July 13 in the face of a popular uprising against his government for mismanaging the island nation’s economy.
Sri Lanka has experienced months of mass unrest over the worst of its economic crisis, with the government declaring bankruptcy in mid-April by refusing to pay its international debt.
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