Monday
18th Nov 2024
Dhivehi Edition
President Nasheed with Namal Rajapaksa.
Parliament Speaker former President Mohamed Nasheed’s visit to Namal Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka’s former Youth Minister, has irked many Sri Lankans.
Namal and his father Mahinda, uncles Gotabaya and Basil, came under severe criticism after the country faced it’s worst economic crisis since independence. Weeks long protests resulted in Mahinda and Namal resigning their cabinet positions – Gotabaya still remains as President.
Following his meeting with Namal, Nasheed tweeted that his meeting was a fruitful one. He added that he “feel[s] that everyone is on the same page” for a more prosperous Sri Lanka.
This was greeted by anger from Sri Lankans. Some commentators had called Nasheed “ill informed”, adding that “maybe [he] shouldn’t speak” if he didn’t understand the complexities of the issue.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had tasked Nasheed to coordinate international efforts to secure funding for Sri Lanka. In light of this, one other commentator had questioned on how it would be possible to seek a way forward from the culprits who created the situation in the first place.
Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was recently appointed to the position, tasked the Speaker to coordinate relief efforts for the country internationally. This move came after the country defaulted on its debts for the first time in its history. The governor of Sri Lanka's central bank said the country was now in a "pre-emptive default".