Sajith Premadasa is ready to take over as Prime Minister if Gotabhaya Rajapaksa steps down, Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella says.
Accordingly, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya is ready to form a new government if the President resigns, he said.
EU condemns the recent vicious attack against peaceful protesters
European Union High Representative has issued a declaration calling on the Sri Lankan authorities to probe into incidents of violence and those perpetrators.
The European Union (EU) and its 27 Member States are monitoring closely developments in Sri Lanka.
The EU condemns the recent vicious attack against peaceful protesters in Colombo, which triggered further violence after a month of peaceful demonstrations had shown, despite some isolated incidents, that Sri Lankans are able to exercise peacefully their right to freedom of expression.
The EU deplores the loss of life, including of a Member of Parliament, and the high number of injured people.
The EU calls on the authorities to initiate an investigation into the events and to hold accountable those instigating or perpetrating violence. The EU urges all parties to refrain from violence and to show restraint.
The EU recalls the importance to safeguard the democratic rights of all citizens, and to focus on solutions that will address the significant challenges currently faced by the Sri Lankans.
Over the last few months the EU has provided humanitarian assistance, including for handling the COVID crisis and the ensuing challenges, and is actively looking at ways to further mitigate the impact of the economic crisis on the most vulnerable people.
CB Executives stress the need of depoliticising public administration
The Central Bank Executive Officers’ Union (CBEOU), yesterday called on all political parties and groups to make an active and genuine contribution to resolve the current economic crisis, as attaining economic stability would be impossible without having political and social stability.
“The Parliament has a greater responsibility, including restoring political stability and enacting legislation to implement required reforms,” they said, issuing a statement yesterday.
Claiming that after consistently ignoring the recommendations of the professionals at the Central Bank, they expressed appreciation for responsible parties who have taken the initial step to enter into a program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“We firmly emphasise the importance of formulating and implementing medium and long-term economic and structural reforms to address the current acute economic crisis and to reduce the risk of recurrence,” they said.
Further, they pointed out that endorsement of effective measures, as soon as possible such as working with the IMF and the World Bank, entering into bilateral or multilateral agreements with allied countries is quintessential.
They also insisted that procedures for appointing the heads of independent public institutions should essentially be ‘depoliticised’, including the Central Bank Governor and members of the Monetary Board, must be properly in place as well as the enactment of the proposed ‘Central Bank Act’ (Draft).
Representing the executive officers of CBSL exclusively, the union extended its technical assistance in taking all the progressive measures to strengthen the entire financial system and the already weakened economy.
However, they said engaging in activities that violate the freedom of the peaceful assembly, freedom of expression, etc. and enforcing repressive laws that encourage such violations may adversely affect international cooperation.
“Our union vehemently condemns with contempt, the despicable attack by mobs, incited and directed by certain politicians, on peaceful protests that have been continuing for more than a month, aimed at untimely implementation of policy measures, intense pressure on the lives of the general public and forcing the Government to make positive measures.
We also emphasise the importance of conducting an independent investigation to identify the perpetrators of these attacks and bringing them before the court of law without delay,” they added.
A decision to hold the party leaders’ meeting through ZOOM
It is reported that it has been decided to hold the canceled party leaders’ meeting scheduled to be held today (11) through ZOOM.
Accordingly, the meeting will be held at 3.00 pm today, said Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.
Statement by High Commission of India on MR
Statement by High Commission of India
The High Commission has recently noticed rumours circulating in sections of media and social media that certain political persons and their families have fled to India.
2. These are fake and blatantly false reports, devoid of any truth or substance. The High Commission strongly denies them.
***
Colombo
10 May 2022
A solution that is acceptable to the general public is urgently needed – BASL President
Saliya Peiris, President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has said that the political instability in the country could not last for weeks as the country’s economy is in a very bad state.
“Recently the Minister of Finance said that the usable capacity in our pool is only US $ 50 million. That means when one oil tanker is brought in, it’s over. So the situation that happened on the 9th took place when there is a serious situation. That provocative incident started with this serious situation in this country. So political instability cannot last for weeks. If this instability persists for a few more weeks, the severity will be enormous. So we all need to understand the extreme seriousness of this. No matter what we say, we cannot find a solution to this problem without realizing its seriousness. That is why the politicians of this country should be quick to find solutions.”
Saliya Peiris stated this while participating in a program on TV Derana.
Parliament will be convened only after the security of the MPs is ensured – Speaker
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena says that a special session of Parliament will be convened only after ensuring the security of the Members of Parliament.
Accordingly, the special party leaders’ meeting scheduled to be held today (11) was also canceled, he said.
However, Parliament has been adjourned until the 17th and he has stated that it will convene on that day.
At Least 100000 Sri Lankans leave the country for greener pastures
Sri Lanka’s outward labour migration has topped the 100,000 mark so far during the year, with an increasing number of Sri Lankans moving to take up foreign employment opportunities to escape from the worsening economic and political crises in the country, SL Foreign Employment Bureau said.
Hundreds of Sri Lankans are leaving the country for greener pastures due to inadequate incomes and skyrocketing prices, selling off of national assets and haphazard governance along with the economic crisis made by the Gotabaya Rajapaksa regime.
The passport office quaes, heavy demand for immigration lawyers, and many grievances about daily life aired on social media are pointing to the fact that most people are not happy with the current corrupt and inefficient government ,civil society activists said.
Many people who seek foreign jobs feel there is no hope in a country riddled with corrupt politicians, systemic discrimination and an ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor.
The less fortunate are forced to endure harsh conditions as migrant labourers working for demanding employers in Middle Eastern countries households, factories and offices while the more educated and privileged get to try their luck in a Western country where the weather, quality of life and unequal treatment are challenges.
A recent survey showed that increasing numbers of Sri Lankans want to leave the country, more than at any time in the past two years .
About one in four Sri Lankans would like to migrate if they had the chancea civel society activist said adding that the youth and the educated want this most, with around half of them wanting to leave the country.
According to the Association of Licensed Foreign Employment Agencies (ALFEA), over 100,000 Sri Lankans departed the country for foreign employment opportunities from the January 1 to April 8, 2022 period.
“At present, there’s large demand for Sri Lankan migrant workers, in particular from the Middle Eastern countries and there’s also a large uptick in supply with what’s happening in the country. Overall, the departures for foreign employment grew by a record 126.8 percent to 121,795 in 2021, from 53,711 in 2020.
In particular, there was an increase in the share of professional, middle level, clerical and related, skilled and semi-skilled foreign employment categories compared to the unskilled and housemaid categories last year.
In particular, the share of housemaids in overall foreign employment departures fell to 24.1 percent in 2021, from 28.5 percent, although the number of females leaving for housemaid employment opportunities nearly doubled in absolute terms.
Arshad reasoned that the reimposition of the Family Background Report (FBR), which has been viewed by some to be gender discriminatory, as the main cause for the relative decline.
“With the economic crisis getting worse, there are many female migrants, who are seeking for foreign employment opportunities. However, a considerable number of them struggle to obtain the FBR.
Therefore, some of them are resorting to unofficial avenues to secure foreign employment opportunities, without registering with the SLBFE and Immigration and Emigration Department at the airport,” he elaborated.
The Middle East region, led by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait, continued to dominate as the key foreign employment destinations in 2021, by accounting for 84.8 percent of the total departures for foreign employment.
Central Bank says political stability key to SL economic recovery:
The Central Bank has warned that economic recovery and current efforts to restore Sri Lanka’s economic stability rests on “reassuring social coherence and restoring political stability and an enduring political will, to take this reform agenda forward”.
In its annual report for 2021 released last week, it said ongoing efforts to resolve the economic issues, including the suspension of external debt servicing by the Government for an interim period pending orderly and consensual restructuring of debt obligations.
CB noted that in seeking an economic adjustment programme from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a commitment is needed to rationalising government expenditure and enhancing government revenue, and continuing non-aligned political and economic diplomacy, among others.
These factors are essential for to restore macroeconomic stability in the period ahead, the Central Bank’s annual report highlighted.
The Sri Lankan economy recovered in 2021 from the pandemic induced contraction in 2020, albeit with several deeply entrenched structural problems and vulnerabilities inherited over several decades coming to the forefront, thereby resulting in unprecedented socio-political tensions in early 2022.
“However, given particular vulnerabilities in the economy, the Central Bank had to be heavily involved in shielding the economy through extraordinary responses, in the form of monetary policy easing, ample liquidity provision to the markets and the Government.
It will be adopting several external sector and financial sector policies, in the absence of adequate policy space in the fiscal sector or an adequately prompt response from the fiscal sector,” the report said.
The outcome of the exchange rate flexibility that was thereafter allowed also in early March 2022, fell short of expectations due to the large overshooting by market forces, reflecting the significant liquidity pressures that prevailed in the domestic foreign exchange market as well as the delay in market correction.
“Price stability, which was the strongest pillar for macroeconomic stability over the last decade or so, was challenged since the second half of 2021 due to the combined impact of global and local supply driven causes as well as the build-up of excessive demand pressures on prices, primarily caused by the lagged impact of extraordinary monetary accommodation, including unprecedented monetary financing that became required due to the lack of fiscal space,” it said.
The external sector remained on the brink of a precarious state since late 2021 due to the mounting Balance of Payments (BOP) pressures reflected in the meagre level of official reserves amidst significant debt servicing obligations along with the dire need to finance essential imports at a time when the domestic foreign exchange market remained largely illiquid.
UN High Commissioner for HR urges restraint, and dialogue in SL
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday called on the authorities in Sri Lanka to prevent further violence, and urged restraint and meaningful dialogue to address the grievances of the population amid the severe economic crisis in the country.
“I am deeply troubled by the escalation of violence in Sri Lanka after supporters of the Prime Minister attacked peaceful protestors in Colombo yesterday 9 May and the subsequent mob violence against members of the ruling party,” Bachelet said.
Seven people have died during the incidents – including a Member of Parliament and two local officials, over 250 were injured, and the properties of others were destroyed by arson throughout the country.
“I condemn all violence and call on the authorities to independently, thoroughly and transparently investigate all attacks that have occurred. It is crucial to ensure that those found responsible, including those inciting or organising violence, are held to account.”
The High Commissioner also called on the authorities to prevent further violence and to protect the right to peaceful assembly.
“Authorities, including military personnel deployed in support of security forces, should exercise restraint in policing the situation and ensure that measures adopted in the context of the state of emergency comply with international human rights norms and are not used to stifle dissent or hinder peaceful protest,” she stressed.
The State has a responsibility to ensure the right to life and to exercise due diligence to protect the lives of individuals against violence by private individuals or entities.
The severe economic crisis has made daily life a struggle for most Sri Lankans. It has also highlighted grievances, which require national dialogue and deeper structural reforms, Bachelet said. It has brought together people from various ethnicities and religions to demand greater transparency, accountability and participation in democratic life.
“I urge the Sri Lankan Government to engage in meaningful dialogue with all parts of society to find a pathway forward and address the socio-economic challenges people, especially vulnerable and marginalized groups, are facing. I call on the Government to address the broader political and systemic root causes that have long perpetuated discrimination and undermined human rights.”
Bachelet said the UN Human Rights Office will continue to closely watch and report on the situation in the country. She expressed hope that Sri Lanka would find a peaceful solution to the current crisis to alleviate people’s suffering, strengthen democracy and human rights, and prevent further violence.