By Darshana Abayasingha

The main Opposition SJB yesterday insisted political stability is essential to achieve economic stability and lamented that despite a new President assuming office several months back, the expected assistance from the IMF is yet to materialise.

The Government has been making promises on the IMF package since September 2022, and at this rate it would probably only come in 2024, the party said.

SJB MP, Dr. Harsha de Silva, said the world is watching Sri Lanka, which has stifled democracy and is currently under a dictatorship. He noted the Government is suppressing the people’s sovereign right to vote and let their aspirations be heard. Dr. de Silva rejected claims that elections will deter the IMF process, and the economic projections made by the Government.

“There is intense tax pressure on the public. The Government says it has to do this, but the people are not even allowed to express their vote. If the Government itself says you cannot change the Government or the President with the local Government poll, then why can’t we have this election. We must not mix up the IMF with the local Government poll,” De Silva said.



The MP added that as the main stakeholder in the IMF, the US has informed the President that elections should be held, and also pointed to comments by the US Senate’s Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Menendez, who had tweeted that ‘any effort to take away the voice of Sri Lankan citizens is undeniably undemocratic and a direct violation of Sri Lankans rights.’ How will this impact the IMF deal, De Silva questioned.

The SJB’s Colombo District MP also rejected claims by the Government there is no money for elections and pointed to a recent Treasury Bill auction which had been oversubscribed. “The question of Sri Lanka will come up once again this month at the UN Human Rights sessions in Geneva, and we will have to find answers to these questions for violating democracy,” De Silva stated.

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