President convenes meeting of leaders of registered political parties to discuss latest IMF prop...

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has convened a meeting where leaders of registered political parties could discuss the proposals put forth by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with its high-level delegation, the President’s Media Division (PMD) announced on Friday (08).

Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa, leader of the JVP-led National People’s Power (NPP) Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader S. Sridharan have been invited to participate in these deliberations, the PMD said.

The meeting is to be held at the Presidential Secretariat on March 11 with an open invitation extended to interested individuals to join alongside the invited leaders.

The initiative stems from a recent request made by Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Dr. Harsha de Silva in Parliament, prompting the President to extend an invitation to all recognized Opposition parties to collaborate with the government in navigating the challenges posed by the IMF programme, the PMD said.

“President Wickremesinghe underscores the critical importance of successfully advancing the IMF programme. He emphasizes the necessity of collective accountability from all parties involved. Key figures set to participate in the discussions include Ministers of State for Finance Shehan Semasinghe and Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayaka, Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Secretary to the Treasury and Finance Ministry K. M. Mahinda Siriwardana and Senior Advisor to the President on Economic Affairs, Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga,” the PMD said.