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Gota’s Singapore visit visa extended

 Gota’s Singapore visit visa extended

JULY 27, 2022 BY RUWANI FONSEKA 

Sri Lanka’s former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa has extended his stay in Singapore for another 14 days, the Straits Times reported on Wednesday.

Rajapaksa was issued a 14-day visit pass when he arrived at the Changi Airport in Singapore from the Maldives on July 14.

His pass to the city-state will now expire on August 11, the newspaper reported.

Sri Lanka’s cabinet spokesman Bandula Gunawardena said on Tuesday at a press conference in Colombo that Rajapaksa is expected to return to the country from Singapore.

The former president who sledged the nation initially stayed at a hotel in the city centre but is believed to have moved to a private residence, strait times reported.

Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on July 14 that Rajapaksa had not asked for asylum and neither had he been granted any asylum.

Singapore generally does not grant requests for asylum, the Ministry added.

Sri Lanka’s Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced the official resignation of Rajapaksa on July 15.

73-year-old Gotabaya Rajapaksa had left the country after crowds of protesters stormed his residence on July 9.

Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as President of Sri Lanka on July 21 in Parliament before Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya.

He was elected as president in an election held in Parliament a day prior to the swearing-in ceremony.

Wickremesinghe received 134 votes following the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa from the presidency last week amid severe economic turmoil in the country.

After winning the parliament vote by secret ballot, Wickremesinghe addressed the parliament, calling on all legislators including the opposition parliamentarians to unite and work together with him to lead Sri Lanka out of the current economic crisis. “We are at a critical juncture.

There is an economic crisis and the youth want a system change. People want all parliamentarians to come together,” he said.

Out of the 225 parliamentarians, 223 voted to elect a new president and there were four invalid votes.

Wickremesinghe is not a new name in politics and has served as the Prime Minister of the island nation six times earlier.

He was one of the top contenders for the Presidential election in which members of the House voted through a secret ballot.

Earlier, Wickremesinghe was appointed as the interim president of Sri Lanka after Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled abroad after his palace was stormed by angry protesters amid the unprecedented economic crisis. The country is facing a severe shortage of fuel and other essential supplies and is in the throes of its worst-ever economic crisis with soaring inflation. The oil supply shortage has forced schools and government offices to close until further notice.

Reduced domestic agricultural production, a lack of foreign exchange reserves, and local currency depreciation have fuelled the shortages.

The economic crisis will push many families into hunger and poverty – some for the first time – adding to the half a million people who the World Bank estimates have fallen below the poverty line because of the pandemic.

Source: The Straits Times

கறுப்பு ஜுலை 2022 ENB முழக்கங்கள்

 

SC extends travel ban on Mahinda and Basil

SC extends travel ban on Mahinda and Basil

JULY 27, 2022 BY RUWANI FONSEKA 

The Supreme Court has extended the travel ban imposed on former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Finance minister Basil Rajapaksa until August 02, as they were named as respondents in a case filed over the economic crisis.

A motion had been filed on July 13, seeking an order prohibiting former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal and several others from leaving the country.

The motion was submitted in relation to a fundamental rights petition filed by the former Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) Chandra Jayaratne, requesting that an investigation be ordered against the individuals responsible for the current economic crisis.

Accordingly, the FR petition was taken up before a five-member bench consisting of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya and Supreme Court Justices L.T.B. Dehideniya and Buwaneka Aluwihare, Priyantha Jayawardena and Vijith Malalgoda.

When the petition was taken up today (27), the judge bench headed by the Chief Justice ordered to extend the travel ban on the former Prime Minister and the former Finance Minister until 

Sri Lanka: Bailout discussions with the IMF resume after World Bank offers nothing

 The World Bank will not offer fresh funding for Sri Lanka, a bankrupt island nation whose former leader just fled. The Finance Ministry says technical discussions have resumed with the International Monetary Fund.

Sri Lanka said bailout discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had resumed Friday after the World Bank said it would not be able to offer the country fresh funding without "deep structural reforms."

The island nation of Sri Lanka is bankrupt, and its economy is in a death spiral. Fresh figures released on Friday showed year-on-year inflation in July hitting a record 60.8%.

The news comes as China plans to send a military ship to the port of Hambantota, a Chinese-built and -leased port in southern Sri Lanka. India is concerned China is using the port as a military base in its backyard.

India has provided Sri Lanka with $4 billion (€3.9 billion) in aid funding this year. China is also a major creditor of Sri Lanka's.

Why did the World Bank refuse Sri Lanka funds?

Sri Lanka's 22 million people have been confronted with food and fuel shortages for months, as well as rolling blackouts in addition to soaring inflation.

In April, Sri Lanka defaulted on $51 billion in foreign debt. Massive protests earlier this month caused the ouster of former president, Gotabaya Rajapaska, who fled the country prior to resigning, initially by email.

The World Bank said it was concerned for the fate of the people of Sri Lanka, but added in a statement that it was not able to give funds "until an adequate macroeconomic policy framework is in place."

The World Bank also called for "deep structural reforms that focus on economic stabilization, and also on addressing the root structural causes that created this crisis."

Additionally, the World Bank said it had already diverted $160 million from existing loans to provide urgently needed medicines, gas for cooking and school meals.

The discussions for a bailout from the IMF could last months despite the urgent need.

Sri Lanka is also in the process of trying to reestablish a functioning government, with former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe having taken over as acting president. Opposition parties are trying to reach a deal on a broad coalition to replace the previous government.

Why is the need for funding so urgent in Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka is out of foreign exchange reserves with which to finance even urgently needed necessities. The shortage economy has led to domestic political strife as people take to the streets in protest.

Drivers in Sri Lanka must wait in long lines for rationed gas. The government has told state employees to stay home to save fuel.

The UN's World Food Program estimates that over 85% of Sri Lankans have bought lesser-quality food, eaten less or skipped meals during the crisis.

On July 9, protesters stormed the presidential palace. Then President Rajapaska fled to Singapore before emailing and later sending a letter announcing his resignation.

The Wickremesinghe has declared a state of emergency and had some of the people who organized the mass protests arrested this week.

ar/msh (AFP, Reuters)

Pakistan-Bangladesh merger with India possible, like ‘Germany unification’, Khattar says

Pakistan-Bangladesh merger with India possible, like ‘Germany unification’, Khattar says 

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar made these remarks after inaugurating BJP’s national Minority Morcha training camp Monday. 

NEELAM PANDEY 25 July, 2022 10:52 pm New Delhi: 

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has said that at a time when a “woman from the most backward class has got a chance to become the President” of India, neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh are witnessing “maar dhaad” (violence). The Haryana CM made these remarks after inaugurating a three-day training camp of the BJP’s national Minority Morcha Monday. He also quipped that when “east Germany and west Germany can unite (sic), the merger of Pakistan and Bangladesh with India can also be possible”, according to a press release issued by the morcha. In an indirect reference to Sri Lanka, he said that the “president of a country has to run away as there is no peace”. 

 “Referring to the neighbouring countries, the CM said that in our country, in a democratic way, a woman from the most backward class has got a chance to become President, this is possible only in India. He said that while President Droupadi Murmu is taking oath in peace, there is a fight in Bangladesh and Pakistan, the president of a country is running away, there is no peace there. 

He said that we want peace and tranquility,” said the morcha press release. Khattar further said that the main goal of the BJP is to make India “the head of the world”. The three-day training camp for minority communities was organised at the BJP state office in Gurugram. Jamal Siddiqui, BJP’s minority morcha head, was also present at the event. 

 “Through this training programme, we want to strengthen our team and at the same time find unique ways of highlighting the work that the Modi government has been doing for the weaker sections of society and the minorities, especially the Pasmanda community,” Siddiqui told ThePrint. Khattar also termed the Partition as “painful”, and said it was on religious lines. He claimed that people from minority communities were given the “minority” tag so that they do not develop a “feeling of fear and insecurity”.