27 July 2022 01:23 pm Views - 2471
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) will start up a program to force a general election shortly, Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella told Parliament today.
Mr. Kiriella who was speaking during the emergency debate in Parliament said people should be given the opportunity to elect the new government of their choice as they want it. “Also the ruling party has lost its mandate as the President, Prime Minister and the cabinet had resigned. Those in the ruling party had appointed their own people to the government. This is nothing, but old wine in new bottles,” he said.
“No foreign country will support a government which is formed by changing heads of the government. Some of the heads of foreign missions in Sri Lanka had informed us that they would not support Sri Lanka anymore. How are you going to get bridging finances in this situation? We have been informed that the staff level agreement which was to be signed with IMF has been delayed by few months. It is not likely that IMF assistance will come until middle of 2023,” he added.
“We will move towards forcing a general election shortly, as international assistance will come only for a new government elected by the people,” he also said.
Mr. Kiriella said the regulations imposed under emergency laws are draconian pieces of legislation. “Anyone can be arrested without a warrant under these laws while anyone who are arrested can be kept in jail without producing him/her before courts,” he said. (Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana)