Colombo: Sri Lanka’s current foreign reserves are less than $ 50 million, Sri Lankan Finance Minister Ali Sabri has told parliament. Earlier, he had said that the country should seek the help of the IMF. Ali Sabri said the new budget proposal to increase income tax would be tabled in Parliament soon.
At the same time, there were rumors that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa would resign yesterday, but Minister Dinesh Gunawardena rejected it. He said Mahinda would make a statement in Parliament today or tomorrow on the current problems in the country.
The main opposition SJB on Tuesday submitted a no-confidence motion against the Mahinda Rajapaksa government and an impeachment motion against the President under Article 42 of the Constitution to the Speaker of Parliament.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that he has a majority in parliament and is confident that he will win the no-confidence motion. At the same time, it is reported that the opposition is currently seeking support to win the no-confidence motion and will soon present it in Parliament. Any resolution has a seven-day notice period for discussion.
Meanwhile, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that the election of the Deputy Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament, which was scheduled to take place yesterday, will take place today. It will also be the first election in Parliament since the outbreak of the crisis in Sri Lanka, giving it the opportunity to prove that it currently has a majority in Parliament. The election comes in the wake of the resignation of Deputy Speaker Ranjit Siyalapitiya on the 30th.
Protest near Parliament, arrest
The police arrested for the arrest of the police in protest against the road to Parliament in Sri Lanka. The arrest was the earlier the protesters created damage in the area and ready to attack MPs. They were produced before the court and later granted bail.
Meanwhile, the Railway Trade Union has called for a nationwide 24-hour strike in Sri Lanka. The strike will last from 12 midnight today to 12 midnight on Friday. More than 40 railway trade unions are participating in the strike. With this, train traffic in the country will come to a complete standstill. The railway strike is in solidarity with tomorrow’s nationwide hartal.