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Those who bankrupted country should resign – Eran

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The country has gone bankrupt due to shortages of fuel, electricity and essential commodities as there were no dollars, said SJB MP Eran Wickremaratne.

Addressing the media at the Economic Policy Centre at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, in Colombo, the Member of Parliament also stated as follows: When there is no war or terrorism in the country, there are long queues at petrol stations without diesel. The Central Bank does not have the dollars to bring in fuel from vessels anchored outside the port. But the Central Bank governor is saying there is no shortage of dollars in the country is an irony.

Also, people are suffering from not being able to buy gas, milk powder, wheat flour and other essential commodities. In addition, there has never been a crisis in the history of independent Sri Lanka where people have been left without electricity, for want of diesel to run power plants.

Meanwhile, education of schoolchildren may be disrupted as no arrangements have yet been made to refuel the more than 30,000 school vans and buses carrying children during the second school term starting on the 7th. This is another blow to school education, already affected by Covid-19

Since the government does not have dollars, oil is purchased on a reloading process. Now the country is bankrupt as there is now a dollar shortage event to buy on a reload system.

The Opposition realised from the beginning that this government, which is greedier for power than the country, has no solution to these problems.

Therefore, even though the Opposition told the government to give priority to spending foreign reserves to meet the country’s needs, instead of using it for debt repayments, the government’s priority was to repay the debts on time to its allies who had bought the international sovereign bonds in the secondary market.

Now a situation has arisen where investors do not come forward to buy our international sovereign bonds.

Under this backdrop, the macroeconomic system has become unmanageable and weakening the banking system, and making it vulnerable to external economic pressures as a country.

Wickremaratne stressed that those who are responsible for the collapse of the country’s economic icons, the Central Bank, and the Ministry of Finance, should be removed from their posts and sent home.

“The Central Bank officials instead of discharging their responsibilities of maintaining inflation and financial stability are engaged in having discussions on how to counter the Opposition views on economy.” he said

He added that instead of the influx of foreign investors, due to the current economic situation in Sri Lanka, there is a tendency for local investors to shift their investments to other countries.

He said it was unfortunate that Sri Lankan investors, engaged in the tourism sector, have now shifted their investments to the Maldives as the country did not see any improvement in the aftermath of the Corona epidemic.

The government, which tried to hide behind the corona about the bankruptcy of the country’s economy, is now making use of the Russian war for the same.

There is no response from the responsible parties of the government to the present economic crises. The Minister of Finance does not even come to Parliament to answer questions raised by the Opposition in Parliament.

When asked why he was not coming, it was said that he was preparing to go to India, but it is reported that Basil Rajapaksa has been informed by India not to undertake the visit to India at the moment.

Wickremaratne stressed that the government should give priority to meeting the needs of the people, even by delaying or restructuring the debt-repayment in order to rebuild the country, which was in crisis due to government giving prominence to settle the ISBs which is reported to have been purchased by its cronies in the secondary market aimed at 100 percent profit.



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Former Army Commander General Hamilton Wanasinghe passes away at the age of 91

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It has been reported that, former Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, General Hamilton Wanasinghe has passed away at the age of 91.

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Government to facilitate Bora Conference

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Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake has instructed relevant officials to provide the maximum support necessary to successfully hold the Global Bora Community’s Spiritual Assembly and Convention scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka.

The Secretary to the President issued these instructions during discussions held on Thursday  (12) at the Presidential Secretariat regarding the Global Bora Conference and Convention.

The Bora Conference and Convention will be held from 27 June to 05 July, coinciding with the Bora Community’s Spiritual Assembly, centred on the Bambalapitiya Bora Mosque and the Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre, with the participation of the community’s Spiritual Leader His Holiness Dr Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin Sahib.

Approximately fifteen thousand members of the Bora Community from India and numerous other countries are expected to arrive in Sri Lanka for this Convention and Conference. Extensive discussions were held regarding the provision of all infrastructure facilities, including airport arrangements, for them.

A group of the Bora Community’s religious leaders, along with officials including the Secretary to the Foreign Ministry, Aruni Ranaraja and Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage, participated in this occasion.

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Opp. forms alliance to seize control of hung councils including CMC

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The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has reached consensus with Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuna (SLPP), United National Party (UNP) and the People’s Alliance (PA) to take control of Akurana, Kadugannawa, Kuliyapitiya and Udubaddawa Pradeshiya Sabhas.

Opposition parties made the announcement at a joint media briefing by SJB National Organiser Tissa Attanayake, SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam, PA General Secretary Lasantha Alagiyawanna and UNP General Secretary Thalatha Athukorala.

Terms of 161 out of 339 local government bodies to which elections were held in May commenced on June 2. The ruling NPP and the Opposition parties have been trying to seize control of the remaining councils. Contestants failed to secure working majorities in 178 councils. Both sides have accused each other of trying to bribe elected members in a bid to take control of the councils.

Elections were not held to two local government institutions on 06 May—the Kalmunai Urban Council due to a court case and the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha (PS), which was elected last year.

Responding to questions, the Opposition spokespersons said that they were confident of forming administration and many more councils.

SJB sources said that the Opposition was also working on an arrangement regarding the Colombo Municipal Council scheduled to meet on Monday (16) for the first time when the Mayor will be elected.

Leader of Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Mano Ganeshan, MP, has alleged that the NPP bribed two of its members in the Haldumulla PS to vote in favour of the person nominated by the NPP as the chairman.

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