COLOMBO, August 4(ABC): Sri Lanka will restart bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in August, its new president said on Wednesday, while calling on lawmakers to form an all-party government to resolve a crippling economic crisis.
In a speech in parliament, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that constitutional amendments were required to curtail presidential powers — indicating he would meet a key demand of protesters who forced out his predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
“The president of a country does not have to be a king or a god who is exalted above the people. He or she is one of the citizens,” Wickremesinghe said.