SJB to meet a top IMF delegation on Wednesday

Party is to assess the merits and demerits of the EFF

By Sandun A Jayasekera   

The main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) yesterday said they will discuss with the IMF the open violation of the agreement signed between the two before passing the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of US$ 2.9 billion’ by the repeated postponement of LG polls.   

The chief whip of the opposition and the senior vice president of the SJB, Lakshman Kiriella told Daily Mirror that a top visiting IMF delegation led by Deputy Managing Director of the world body, Kenji Nakamura is scheduled to meet a team of experts of the SJB led by the Leader of the Opposition, Sajith Premadasa on Wednesday (31) and the SJB expects to make aware the IMF on the government’s continuous contravention of rights of the people guaranteed under the Sri Lanka Constitution.  

“The government has the audacity even to rebuke the highest court in the country, the Supreme Court by rejecting outright the ruling given to the Finance Ministry not to withhold funds allocated to the Election Commission from the budget 2023. In addition, the government has resorted to a highly oppressive and autocratic policy of brutally restraining the freedom for peaceful dissent, protest and freedom of expression. Soon after the first tranche of the EFF was paid by the IMF, the government postponed the LG polls.