Sri Lanka can’t hold election this year due to economic crisis: Cabinet

Sri Lanka is not in the position to hold a snap presidential election this year because of the ongoing economic crisis and the government’s focus is on debt restructuring, Cabinet Spokesman Bandula Gunawardena said on Tuesday.

No election would be possible this year as the state finances have not improved, Gunawardena said while responding to speculation that the government might opt to hold a snap presidential election.

He said the government’s focus, for now, is centred on successfully ending the process of debt restructuring.

Former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as the President of Sri Lanka by the Parliament to serve the remainder of ex-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s term, which was supposed to end in November 2024.

The IMF extended a nearly USD 3 billion bailout facility to debt-ridden Sri Lanka to help stabilise the country’s economy after it was jolted by a devastating economic crisis last year.

Without restructuring our debt it will not be possible to obtain any more foreign loans, Gunawardena, also the Minister of Transport and Highways and Minister of Mass Media, said, citing the example of 53 million dollars needed for improving the roads infrastructure.

Until we pay back the existing loans we will not be able to borrow, he stressed.

Sri Lanka has a tight September deadline from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to conclude its outstanding debt.

The nearly USD 3 billion bailout from the IMF that was approved on March 20 was delayed due to the need to restructure debt.

President Wickremesinghe, who is also the finance minister, is also under mounting criticism for holding back the local council election claiming the treasury was short of funds to allocate money for election expenditure.

In the same press conference, Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman said the storm is now heading towards Balochistan.

“The storm will surely hit Keti Bandar; however, the NDMA is continuously monitoring the situation,” she said.

She assured people that the government had started taking measures to keep citizens safe and all rescue agencies have been put on alert.

Earlier, she warned that even though the storm had downgraded from “extremely severe” to “very severe”, urban flooding is likely in Karachi, given the scale and intensity of the winds.

She said that so far, more than 40,000 people have been evacuated, while 43 relief camps have been established.

Residents living near and around the Seaview beach in Pakistan’s biggest city, Karachi, have also been told to voluntarily evacuate their homes in view of the threat posed by the cyclone which is expected to make a landfall near the Keti Bandar coastal area in the province.

The PMD has warned that the cyclone might cause havoc in the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan.

Residents in many parts of Karachi posted on social media that they could already see the effects of Cyclone Biparjoy over the city with gusty winds.

Television channels showed visuals of families moving on roads through various means with their belongings in Badin and Sujawal after evacuating their villages.

“We are expecting the high-intensity winds, heavy rainfalls and thunderstorms and high tides to damage vulnerable structures so we have started taking precautions and are evacuating the people at least 10 kilometres away from coastal areas, Jahanzaib Khan a director of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said.

Karachi Corps Commander Lt General Babar Iftikhar held an emergency meeting last night regarding the preparations made in Badin.

Military officials and heads of civil institutions, including Sindh Rangers Director General and Hyderabad GOC, participated in the meeting.

The persons concerned briefed Lt General Iftikhar on the preparations, who expressed satisfaction with the timely arrangements.

“All resources will be used to deal with potential threats,” he directed the officials, adding that Pakistan Army troops have already reached various places in case rescue efforts are needed. “Under no circumstances will the people be left alone.”

Instructions have been issued to all garrisons of the Pakistan Army regarding public assistance and rescue missions on an emergency basis.

Army troops have been dispatched from Hyderabad, Badin, and Malir cantonments to help the civil administration. The troops will assist the administration in evacuating vulnerable populations from the coastal belt.

Moreover, all garrisons of Karachi Corps have been readied for all kinds of relief activities and management of affected people.