By Sandun A Jayasekera

It is extremely doubtful that donor countries or global financial agencies would extend a helping hand or their good offices to Sri Lanka to come out of the current economic, political and social mess when they review the handling of the economy and law and order in the country under the Ranil Wickremesinghe regime, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) said yesterday.   

The senior vice president and the media consultant of the party, Prof. Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa told Daily Mirror that almost all the UN agencies and the entire global community were unhappy over the use of the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to suppress dissent, peaceful protests and the incarceration of University students who aired their displeasure exchanging foreign currency is taking place outside the legal banking system, such as ‘Hawala’ or ‘Undial system   

Identifying Sri Lanka as the 5th country in the world with highest food price inflation ratio, using outdated and condemned laws to suppress lawful public gatherings and protests are not encouraging signs for donors and creditors to have any pity on Sri Lanka, he said.   

It is sad to witness that the government has met all the criteria to brand Sri Lanka as a failed state or pariah state by defaulting the debt servicing, failure to provide three square meals per day to 6 million people (according to the World Food Programme), total collapse of law and order with arrests of thousands of Sri Lankans who participated in anti-government protests and failure to contain a reign of terror led by the underworld. The government has also failed to reach to a consensus with the opposition political parties to form an interim government for a limited period of time until Parliamentary polls are held as expected by the global community, the Mahanayakas, other religious leaders and 22 million Sri Lankans living in and out of the country, Prof. Piyadasa stressed.  ”The biggest drawback to come to an agreement to form an all-party – inclusive interim government is the continuous refusal by President Wickremesinghe to give a time frame for this stop gap government and its road map and also the specific date to hold the general election for a fresh mandate. He must be transparent and show his bona-fide intentions to the opposition led by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and other political parties and groups when he holds discussions with them on the matter. My assessment is that Ranil is not genuine at this powwow with the opposition and his hidden agenda is only to ensure his political survival as long as possible despite anger, rejection and detest by almost all Sri Lankans,” Prof. Piyadasa charged.   

He expressed fear that there was a possibility of Sri Lanka losing the GSP+ trade facility while the UNHRC further tightening its strictures dictated to Sri Lanka at the 46th sessions held in March, 2021 during the forthcoming 51st regular session scheduled to be held from September 12 to October 7th in Geneva this year when the EU and the UN body review Sri Lanka’s human rights record, progress of the reconciliation process and performance of the government.