Lanka economic crisis: Ruling coalition party urges President Gotabaya to form all-party govt
Colombo(PTI): Sri Lanka's former president Maithripala Sirisena's Freedom Party has called on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to form an all-party government to tide over the worst economic crisis in the island nation and said that it may leave the alliance if its request was ignored.
Sri Lanka is currently experiencing its worst economic crisis in history. With long lines for fuel, cooking gas, essentials in short supply and long hours of power cuts the public has been suffering for weeks.
Party's general secretary and a state minister Dayasiri Jayasekera said that the Central Committee decided on Friday to urge for the formation of a government representing all parties in Parliament.
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) with 14 Members of Parliament is the largest group within the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) ruling coalition.
Sirisena is SLPP chair but he is not a minister.
We have entrusted the party leaders to take a decision as to whether the SLFP would leave the government if the government ignored our request to form an all-party government, Jayasekera said.
The SLPP coalition, an alliance of 11 parties, has been in trouble recently.
Two of the 11 party leaders were sacked as Cabinet ministers while another Cabinet member has joined them in criticising the government's handling of the economic crisis.
On Thursday night, a large demonstration opposite the private residence of Rajapaksa led to mass scale arrests. They held placards calling Gota go home', blaming him for the hardships.
In view of the protests, the President declared a nationwide public emergency with immediate effect from April 1.
Rajapaksa has defended his government's actions, saying the foreign exchange crisis was not his making and the economic downturn was largely pandemic driven where the island's tourism revenue and inward remittances waning.
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India & Israel elevate ties to special strategic partnership, vow to soon conclude free trade deal
Jerusalem (PTI): India and Israel on Thursday elevated their "time-tested" relationship to a special strategic partnership and agreed to soon firm up a "mutually beneficial" free trade deal even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly backed the Gaza peace initiative, asserting that humanity must never become a victim of conflict.
Following talks between Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, the two sides inked a plethora of agreements to expand cooperation in areas of trade, agriculture, energy, cyberspace and digital payment.
India and Israel also vowed to expand their already close defence partnership by working towards joint development and joint production of military hardware under the framework of the transfer of technologies.
In his media statement, Modi said India's security interest is linked to peace and stability in the Middle East, adding that New Delhi fully supports the Gaza Peace Initiative.
"India's stance is clear: humanity must never become a victim of conflict. A path to peace has been created through the Gaza Peace Plan. India has fully supported these efforts," he said.
"In the future as well, we will continue dialogue and cooperation with all countries," he said.
PM Modi landed in Israel on Wednesday on a two-day visit. It is his second visit to Israel in nine years.
In his remarks, the prime minister said India and Israel have a united view that there is no place for terrorism in the world and both sides stand shoulder-to-shoulder in countering terrorism and its supporters.
"Our relationship is founded on the strong bedrock of deep trust, shared democratic values, and human sensitivities. Our bond has stood the test of every trial of time," he said.
"Today, we have taken the historic decision to elevate our time-tested partnership to the status of a 'Special Strategic Partnership'," he said.
The prime minister also announced the establishment of an India-Israel critical and emerging technologies partnership to impart a new momentum for cooperation in areas of artificial intelligence, quantum, and critical minerals. "I am pleased that an agreement has been reached for the use of UPI in Israel," he said.
The prime minister, referring to the threat of terrorism, said India and Israel will continue to confront the menace unitedly.
"India and Israel are completely clear that there is no place for terrorism in the world. In any form, in any expression, terrorism cannot be accepted," he said.
"We have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in opposing terrorism and its supporters, and we will continue to do so," he added.
India and Israel also discussed the implementation of the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and cooperation under the framework of I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-USA).
