By Saman Indrajith

The SJB told Parliament on Tuesday the Ranil Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government would not receive any international assistance and there would be no solution to the present crisis.

Participating in a debate on the country’s current economic crisis, Chief Opposition Whip, Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella, said: “Lankan expatriates publish advertisements in newspapers in foreign countries calling on the international community not to grant aid to Sri Lanka as long as Gotabaya Rajapaksa remained the President.

“They say that the person who caused this crisis is still there and no solution will work out as long as he is the President. As long as he remains the President we will not receive international assistance. The international community is of the strong opinion that political reforms, demanded by the people should be brought in immediately. There should be either abolition of the Executive Presidency or to transfer its powers to Parliament. Without that we would not have any meaningful assistance to solve the crisis. We all have to suffer more. The President on Monday said that he wants to complete his term.

“The so-called government could not get any meaningful assistance from the international community. They asked help from the US and the European countries who in response said that they would seek to talk to the IMF to provide assistance to Sri Lanka. None is giving any serious commitment as long as the present ad-hoc system of governance prevails,” Kiriella said.

SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman said that the international community was well aware that Parliament was playing the fool to help the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government to prevail and not engaged in finding meaningful solutions for the people’s problems.

He said: “It is only the Prime Minister who is new there. Rest of the government has the same faces led by the same president. Except for the Prime Minister the rest are directly responsible for the present crisis. How can one expect solutions from them? People know that their opinion no longer is represented in this House. Most of those who caused the present crisis are still in this House. The new PM has to work with the same set. Whatever he says and does, the PM has to work with the Rajapaksas and their cronies. It is the very same people who put up their hands for Gotabaya Rajapaksa are now in the Cabinet. How can you expect foreign countries to give any assistance to the creators of this crisis? They will not do so just because the new PM is there.

“Entire world is calling on Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign, but he says that he will not leave as a failed President and remain there to better his position. This country cannot be saved without him going home. All people in this country are calling for his resignation. If he is not going to listen to that, we people have nothing to do but pray God help us,” MP Rahuman said.