Sri Lanka: BASL President urges politicians to unite to avert economic crisis
May 05, 2022
Colombo [Sri Lanka], May 5 : As Sri Lanka battles with one of the worst economic crises, Saliya Pieris PC, President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), urged all the Sri Lankan politicians to act as statesmen and avert the imminent crisis.
Speaking at a press conference, Pieris urged all the politicians of Sri Lanka to unite as one and work towards a solution to restore the economic and political imbalance of the island country, reported the Daily Mirror.
The press conference was attended by Balapatabendi, the BASL Secretary Isuru, Anura Meddegoda PC, BASL Deputy President, Mehran Careem, BASL Assistant Secretary, and Vishwa De Livera Tennakoon, Attorney-at-law.
"All politicians have to come together to work out a solution because the economic crisis is dire. We believe this is the time for politicians to act as statesmen," said the BASL President.
Pieris, in response to a query, stated that BASL is willing to discuss the thirteen-point proposals with the political authority within the next few days, reported the Daily Mirror.
He added that BASL has already extended the proposals to the high-ranking Buddhist monks, Mahanayake theros. The proposals have also been given to the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC), and the Young Men's Buddhist Association (YMBA) as well.
The proposals of BASL include the abolition of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, repeal of the executive Presidency, an advisory council, and a cabinet of ministers comprising 15 members accompanied by the adoption of a Common Minimum Programme, reported the Daily Mirror.
According to BASL, the primary objective of the proposals is to drag Sri Lanka out of the dire economic crisis by establishing economic, political, and social stability.
It aims in creating a stable Government that possesses the ability to implement domestic reforms and negotiate with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The proposals made by BASL are also meant for multilateral agencies and friendly countries to help Sri Lanka in its difficult times.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's economy has been in a free fall since the COVID-19 pandemic due to the crash of the tourism sector. The country is presently facing a foreign exchange shortage which has led to a food, fuel, power, and gas shortage, and has sought the assistance of friendly countries for economic assistance.
