Agreements with creditors cannot be amended no matter who becomes President in September; RW

• A future president and a government will have to abide with these conditions  

 By Yohan Perera and D. G. Sugathapala  

Agreements which Sri Lanka has reached with the IMF and the creditors cannot be amended no matter who becomes President in September, incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe told a rally in Galle during the weekend.  

Wickremesinghe who confirmed his candidacy during the rally said the agreements with the IMF, creditor nations and international bond holders cannot be changed as Sri Lanka has already agreed for certain conditions. “A future president and a government will have to abide with these conditions,” the President said.   “No presidential candidate will be able to deceive people by uttering lies,” he added.    

“The rupee has become a strong currency once again. Prices of fuel has gone down. However pawning of jewellery by the people has increased. We managed to give concessions to such people who had pawned their jewellery. We are aware that people are faced with difficulties even today. The government has managed to grant Aswesuma to 2.4 million people while lands are being given to 2 million people. We are also planning to introduce smart agriculture which will enable farmers to earn a higher income. We are receiving foreign assistance to carry out all these programmes. However if we lose this assistance the country will be pushed into another economic crisis,” the President also said.   

The President said his intention is to secure a stable nation for the future generations though the opposition laughed at him when he once said the current plan is to convert Sri Lanka into a developed nation by 2048.   
 “I am not a person who runs away from challenges. I will do my part for the nation,” he said.