Governmental Insecurities In Sri Lanka Whilst The President Leaves To Singapore
GHRTV Reporter
15-12-2021
Malene Solheim
Sri Lanka and Human Rights Researcher,
Global Human Rights Defense.
After a long pandemic and an abrupt ‘organic only’ policy in the Sri Lankan agricultural sector, president Gotabaya Rajapaksa prorogues the parliament and leaves for Singapore (The Indian Express, 2021).
The Sri Lankan government is currently in a delicate situation due to the weakened economic situation in the country. The COVID-19 pandemic caused an abrupt stop in tourism and decreased netto export. Additionally, the government has attempted to make agricultural production completely free from chemical fertilizers, causing prices of basic foods to soar (New York Times, 2021). This has put additional pressure on the government to perform well and to help the people who are struggling financially. Although it is not confirmed, there are speculations that the financial situation in the country has been influential in the president’s decision to travel to Singapore (The Indian Express, 2021).
The Parliament session ended on Friday December 10th and was set to convene on January 10th. However, now President Rajapaksa has declared that it will convene on January 18th (The Indian Express, 2021). Only hours after his announcement he left for an unscheduled visit to Singapore . It is believed that this trip might be because of personal medical reasons (NDTV, 2021).
Sources and further reading:
Sri Lanka’s Plunge Into Organic Farming Brings Disaster, 7 December 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/07/world/asia/sri-lanka-organic-farming-fertilizer.html
Sri Lanka President prorogues Parliament until January 18, leaves for Singapore, 14 December 2021, https://indianexpress.com/article/world/sri-lanka-president-prorogues-parliament-until-january-18-leaves-for-singapore-7671597/
Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa Suspends Parliament; Leaves For Singapore, 13 December 2021,
