IMF deal most devastating against the political career of MR: Prof. Charitha Herath

• Points out the disparity between IMF agreement and political ideologies of the ruling SLPP
• Says IMF document has blamed former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for country’s many woes and questions SLPP if they can agree to this
• Claims IMF has restricted and bound the leaders of the country and infantilised them through the deal

Freedom People’s Congress member Prof. Charitha Herath says the IMF agreement is perhaps the most devastating document against the four-decade-long political career of former President and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. Joining in the debate yesterday on the IMF deal, Herath said there is a great disparity between the contents of the document and the politics of the ruling party led by Rajapaksa. “This is the most devastating document against the 40-year political career of Mahinda Rajapaksa. Therefore, I ask the Government to not applaud and approve it,” Herath requested. Herath together with other members of the independent FPC, a breakaway group of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) voted no to the IMF agreement yesterday.

Herath said Sri Lanka’s current situation is an issue of many I’s. “We have the IMF, an illegitimate Government, an ISB blunder and I-specialist President who claims he has done everything on his own,” he said. “We are being forced to talk about the IMF, with an illegitimate Government. We are also being forced to talk about the IMF with a Government run by several leaders who caused the ISB blunder,” he added.

Herath invited the Government MPs to peruse the contents of the document before approving it. Pointing to sections 1 - 9 which sets out the content and development part of the agreement, the MP noted that the entire section has blamed former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his policies for the economic downfall of the country. “Discuss this internally and see if you actually agree with this without merely raising your hand,” he told them. Herath said the conditions in this particular IMF agreement have restricted and bound the leaders of the country and infantilised them. “This has never been done before,” he claimed.

The MP noted that the country’s sovereignty in making decisions has been stripped and will not require the Minister of Finance and officials to consult with the IMF on any policy documents they may formulate. Herath called it a death trap and said only those who have not read the document can support it. He claimed this IMF deal will not deliver Sri Lanka from its troubles but instead push it down yet another abyss instead.