A unity government to revive the bankrupt economy. The new president of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, formally invited, on Sunday July 31, the deputies of the various parties to join him in undertaking fundamental reforms. Ranil Wickremesinghe took office earlier this month after the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in a country facing a historic crisis, suffering for months from shortages of food, fuel, raw materials and medicine.
The Sri Lankan President has written to all Members of Parliament asking them to join a unity government. On Saturday, in front of influential monks at the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, one of Buddhism’s holiest shrines, he said he wanted “undertake this journey and form a government that would bring together all parties” of Parliament, a necessity in order to pass “painful reforms”according to him.
He conceded to the monks that the economy would continue to fall this year, but he expected a recovery next year. Inflation, currently at 60.8%, could rise further, he warned. The new president assured that he was working to “restabilizing the economy” : “It’s a difficult task. But if we don’t do it now, it will be more difficult. We have to ask ourselves if we should try to cure the patient by giving him medicine or if we should let him die without giving him medicine. medications.”
