Opposition and diplomats hold talks on SL’s challenges

Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa

A delegation of opposition party leaders and representatives, led by opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, engaged in a meeting with diplomats representing 12 countries in Colombo yesterday. The group participated in an extensive discussion concerning the prevailing situation in Sri Lanka and other key focus areas of interest. 

During the discussion, various matters were addressed, including the importance of consolidating democracy in Sri Lanka, safeguarding the constitution, and the need for holding local government elections. 

The opposition also drew the diplomatic group’s attention to the government’s involvement in blatant corruption, its inefficiency in addressing people’s issues, the lack of progress in implementing anti-corruption measures, and the challenges arising in the legislative domain. These topics were thoroughly examined as part of the broader conversation.

The discussion was attended by United States Ambassador Julie J Chung, Netherlands Ambassador Bonnie Horbach, Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay, New Zealand High Commissioner Michael Appleton, Australian High Commissioner Paul Wesley Stephens, French High Commissioner Jean Francois Pactet, Canadian High Commissioner Eric Walsh, United Kingdom Acting Deputy High Commissioner Lisa Whanstall, Romanian Ambassador Victor Chiujdea, Pana Deputy Head of Mission Katsuki Kotaro, Italian Deputy Head of Mission Dr. Francesco Perale, and Anne Vaugier Chatterjee from the EU Political Department

During the meeting, the Leader of the Opposition highlighted the deliberate postponement of elections, which poses a serious threat to democracy in the country. He also expressed his concerns regarding the failure of programs like Aswasuma, indicating that the government’s insensitivity to the problems faced by the people was undermining these initiatives.

Furthermore, he shed light on the alarming state of the country’s health sector, which had broken down, leading to the suffering of the people, primarily due to the use of substandard medicines. 

Adding to the concerns raised during the meeting, the opposition leader pointed out that despite the passage of numerous bills aimed at combating corruption, corruption scandals continue to persist. He also noted there is a lack of a proper mechanism to recover the funds stolen from the country, which further compounds the issue.

Furthermore, the diplomats were informed about the various challenges plaguing the legislative domain. It was highlighted that many bills suffer from errors and deficiencies, leading to a decline in the overall quality of the legal system.