Sri Lanka, home to around 22 million people, is currently facing its worst economic crisis in more than 70 years
Sri Lanka, home to around 22 million people, is currently facing its worst economic crisis in more than 70 years
Sri Lanka’s parliament sessions will be limited to two days this week instead of the current one fuel supply crisis in the countryLeader of the House Dinesh Gunawardene said on Tuesday.
The island nation, home to some 22 million people, is currently facing its worst economic crisis in more than 70 years. Sri Lanka’s economy is facing extreme fuel shortages, rising food prices and a shortage of medicines.
“In view of the current fuel supply crisis, we have decided to limit the Parliamentary session for today and tomorrow,” announced Mr. Gunavardhan.
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When Parliament met this morning, the main opposition Samagi Jan Balvegaya Party and the Marxist National People’s Power Party said they were boycotting the sessions to protest the government’s inaction in dealing with the current economic crisis.
SJB leader Sajith Premadasa said that since the government has no strategy to deal with the crisis, there is no use in spending time in Parliament.
NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said, “We do not see any plan from the government to address the current economic and fuel shortage issue.”
He said the fuel queue has gotten longer since the new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe Was appointed in mid-May.
At the start of today’s session, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abhaywardene said the main opposition’s motion on the 21st Amendment to the Constitution has been interpreted as requiring a national referendum on most provisions inconsistent with the Constitution.
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The speaker was reading out the judgment received from the Supreme Court.
The Sri Lankan cabinet on Monday approved the 21st amendment to the constitution aimed at empowering parliament on the working president.
The 21st amendment is expected to repeal 20A of the constitution, which gives President Gotabaya Rajapaksa autocratic powers, after scrapping the 19th amendment that strengthened parliament.
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Sri Lanka is in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for an economic program that could be supported by the global lender’s loan arrangement for the country, which is looking for $6 billion to keep it afloat for the next six months.
However, the IMF has put in place several conditions for agreeing on the bailout package.
The nearly bankrupt country, coupled with an acute foreign exchange crisis that resulted in foreign debt defaults, announced in April that it would suspend foreign debt repayments of about $7 billion for this year out of about $25 billion due by 2026. Used to be. Sri Lanka’s total external debt is $51 billion,
The crisis has forced Sri Lankans to stand in queues outside shops for hours to buy fuel and cooking gas.