Colombo: New President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe Said on Sunday, this is not the right time for former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa The Wall Street Journal reported that to return to the country because it could provoke political tensions.
“I don’t think it’s time for him to return,” Wickremesinghe said in an interview with the Journal. “I have no sign of him returning anytime soon.”
Rajapaksa, after facing calls to resign if he took over the country, fled and stepped down on 13 July.
A few days later, Wickremesinghe won a vote in parliament to become the new president.
The Journal said Wickremesinghe has been in touch with Rajapaksa to deal with administrative handover issues and other government work.
The troubled country is negotiating a bailout package with the International Monetary Fund. In April, Sri Lanka suspended the repayment of about $12 billion of foreign debt and paid about $21 billion by the end of 2025.
Wickremesinghe expected International Monetary Fund The report said a staff-level agreement would be reached by the end of August, adding that Sri Lanka would have to raise more than $3 billion from other sources next year to support essential imports including fuel, food and fertilisers. To be.
He also told the newspaper that it would take months for Sri Lankans to see any significant improvement in their economic conditions.
“I don’t think it’s time for him to return,” Wickremesinghe said in an interview with the Journal. “I have no sign of him returning anytime soon.”
Rajapaksa, after facing calls to resign if he took over the country, fled and stepped down on 13 July.
A few days later, Wickremesinghe won a vote in parliament to become the new president.
The Journal said Wickremesinghe has been in touch with Rajapaksa to deal with administrative handover issues and other government work.
The troubled country is negotiating a bailout package with the International Monetary Fund. In April, Sri Lanka suspended the repayment of about $12 billion of foreign debt and paid about $21 billion by the end of 2025.
Wickremesinghe expected International Monetary Fund The report said a staff-level agreement would be reached by the end of August, adding that Sri Lanka would have to raise more than $3 billion from other sources next year to support essential imports including fuel, food and fertilisers. To be.
He also told the newspaper that it would take months for Sri Lankans to see any significant improvement in their economic conditions.