Sumanthiran questions delay in presenting the IMF documents to the Parliament

COLOMBO (News 1st); TNA Spokesperson President's Counsel M. A. Sumanthiran said the IMF agreement is yet to be tabled in Parliament.

"When discussions opened with the International Monetary Fund, I questioned the President in Parliament whether the agreement will be revealed to Parliament and the country in a transparent manner. He gave an assurance, however, no such thing has happened," he told reporters.

The MP said that Parliament was kept in the dark over the conditions in the IMF agreement. 

"After the IMF agreement was signed, the President tabled a document in Parliament. We are yet to be provided with those documents. The government has taken a position that it has been tabled in parliament. They are trying to prove that the parliament has given the green light for this," he stated.

In addition, the MP said that the sitting parliament does not represent a mandate, and therefore, passing any material through such a parliament does not represent the final seal by the people. 

"Therefore, a parliament with no mandate cannot do this. Parliament must be dissolved and a government with a mandate must engage in this. If not, the country will not accept these agreements," he added.