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AKD claims all-party conference only to appease SLFP

17 Mar 2022

 
  • Alleges conference not convened to resolve economic crisis 
  • Requests IMF country report and stats on reserves, repayments to decide on participation 
  BY Buddhika Samaraweera  The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has alleged that the all-party conference to be held on 23 March has been convened to resolve the conflict between the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), and not to discuss the current economic crisis in the country. Speaking to the media, JVP Leader and National People’s Power (NPP) Parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake claimed that the said conference has been convened purely for political purposes. “This is a conference convened solely for political reasons. There was a discussion between President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the SLFP including with SLFP Chairman and incumbent SLPP Parliamentarian Maithripala Sirisena to resolve the crisis between the SLPP and the SLFP. This conference has been convened in response to a request made by Sirisena during that discussion,” he noted. He stated that the Government has sent a letter to the JVP, inviting them to participate in the discussion. However, Dissanayake said that future developments with regard to the conference would determine whether they would participate or not. He added: “The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has submitted a detailed report on the country’s economy. Therefore, present it to Parliament. Also, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) should provide us with details of the country’s foreign exchange reserves as well as the loans to be repaid. Without them, there would be no point in just chatting.”  President Rajapaksa had agreed to convene an all-party conference at the end of this month to discuss the current crisis in the country, following a request made by the main constituent party of the ruling SLPP-led government alliance, the SLFP. SLFP General Secretary and Batik, Handloom, and Local Apparel Products State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara said that the SLFP had made this request during the party’s meeting with the President on 8 March. “As the President promised, all parties in the Parliament will be invited to the general assembly by the end of this month. This assembly will be convened to discuss and take immediate action to save the people from the country’s crises. Also, 15 proposals presented by the SLFP were approved at the meeting,” he noted.


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