Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella Friday accused the IMF of double speak and demanded to know on what assurances it had begun disbursing a USD 2.9 billion loan to Sri Lanka. He said the incumbent government, without a people’s mandate, would be unable to respect the obligations attached to the loan facility.
SJB MP Kiriella said that IMF last September told a Colombo press conference that there should be a government with a people’s mandate to pass the loan facility. It had said that only a government with a people’s mandate would be able to implement the reforms envisaged by the loan obligations.
“This government has no mandate from the people. It would never be able to implement any reform. So we demand an explanation from the IMF on what grounds it assessed this government would be able to implement those reforms. In addition we accuse the IMF of double speak,” Kiriella said.
He said the government has put up public enterprises for sale. “The President and government exists because of the SLPP MPs supporting it. The SLPP MPs came to parliament on a vote obtained on the promise of not privatizing public ventures. Where is the mandate for the government to sell national assets in this manner,” the MP queried.