Sri Lanka president seeks unity government to save economy
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP)
Sri Lanka’s new president Ranil Wickremesinghe has formally invited MPs to join an all-party unity government to revive the bankrupt economy by undertaking painful reforms, his office said Sunday.
Wickremesinghe took office earlier this month after public anger over the island nation’s worst economic crisis forced his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and quit.
In a meeting Saturday with the influential monks of the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, one of Buddhism’s most sacred shrines, Wickremesinghe outlined his plans.
“As the president, I wish to start a new journey,” Wickremesinghe was quoted as telling the monks in his first meeting with the powerful Buddhist clergy since taking office.
“I would like to get all the parties together and go on that journey as well as to form an all-party government.”
He has written to all lawmakers asking them to join a unity government.
A former opposition MP, Wickremesinghe, 73, took up the premiership for the sixth time in May after Rajapaksa’s elder brother Mahinda resigned and there were no other takers for the job.
Wickremesinghe went onto become the president after Gotabaya escaped on July 9 when tens of thousands of protesters angry at the economic crisis stormed the presidential palace.
He fled to Singapore from where he resigned five days later and Wickremesinghe became interim president and later won a vote in parliament confirming his ascension.
Sri Lanka’s 22 million people have endured months of lengthy blackouts, record inflation and shortages of food, fuel and medicines.
Since late last year, the country has run out of foreign exchange to finance even the most essential imports.
In April, Sri Lanka defaulted on its $51 billion foreign debt and opened bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund.
Wickremesinghe told monks that the economy would decline further this year with a contraction of 7.0 percent, but expected a recovery next year.
“I am working to re-stabilise this economy and build the economy in such a way that the country can be developed by 2023, 2024.
“It is a difficult task. But if you don’t do it now, it will be more difficult. We should think about whether we should try to cure the patient by giving medicine or let the patient die without giving medicine,” he added.
He said inflation currently running at 60.8 percent could go up further.
After his election as president, Wickremesinghe, while ordering security forces to clear protest sites, has appointed an interim cabinet leaving the door open for others to join.
He has called a new session of parliament from Wednesday and is expected to expand the 18-member cabinet to accommodate members from opposition parties.
(AFP)
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Joker!
@Ranjith – You Moron! LOL
Dumbo, what’s jocular about inviting all parties to form a ‘national consensus’ govt? I for one am skeptical if this effort is going to come to fruition (as there are many anti-SL elements in the parliament who are determined to see the country go down in ashes), but Prez Ranil has no choice but to extend this invitation as that is exactly what the so called west is waiting to blame him on, if he doesn’t do it!
Kevin ,Because the problem is the shortage of dollars. So do you think they will pour dollars to Sri Lanka because you have a unity government? When a bank lend you money, first thing they want to know how you going to pay back and weather you cam pat it back. Kevin when this country in debts with billions of dollars and as they have default the payments I don’t thing they will lend any money to any government.
Ranjith,
No leader can make raindrops turn into dollars.
Dollars have to be earned and that is exactly what Sri Lankans are doing at the moment. Our external earnings in the 1st quarter increased by over 12.5%.
Ranjith, what is required is “Crisis Management” and that is what Prezzo RW is doing.
Ranjith, you, as a white man’s toilet cleaner (earning more than President and PM) know how to manage crisis in your workplace.
If in a hotel room, if the customer has urinated and defecated on the bed and left the room to be cleaned by you, I am sure you have been trained to deal with that situation.
Ranjith, that is what is called “Crisis Management”.
Hey Guy,
Please don’t be harsh on Ranjith.
He belongs to the Onlanka Blogger Family.
His comms may be a bit poor.
But he is a hardworking overseas toilet cleaner earning more than EP + PM.
The USD’s he brings home are useful.
Blimey Guy G, I love it mate! This Ranjith is not a “real Ranjith” as I have met many such “Ranjith” “Upul” Sarath” “Vipul” etc. also in various other SL news sites, blogs, chats, etc. during the hey days of LTTE maggots’ vicious terror campaign in SL. Of course they were just LTTE supporters, out to sway majority Sinhala public opinion in favor of their separatist agenda by showing gullible Chingalayo “see we are also good Chinglayo, but see we think LTTE is good and GOSL is bad” kind of ploy. This happened again during Sarath Fonseka’s (aka PONSEKA) prez-election campaign in 2010 too, but that time these undercover terra-maggots were gleefully supporting PONSEKA for Prez (as he had promised to hand them their pee-lam on a platter)!
Gajendra. I tried to educate you all but all in vain. So what’s the point. I give up. Don’t worry will send some denotations for starving you all to get some food. Byeeeeeeeeeeeeee
You tried to educate? How can you when you have no education, it appears, whatsoever? Anyway, bye and don’t let the door hit you on your way out.