President tells Wall Street Journal time not right for Gotabaya to return home

IMF Bailout agreement at the end of the month?

President Ranil Wickremesinghe says it is not the right time for former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to return to the country as it could inflame political tensions.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, the President has been reported as having said: “I don’t believe it’s the time for him to return. I have no indication of him returning soon.”

The report said that President Wickremesinghe remained in contact with Rajapaksa to deal with administrative handover issues and other government business.

It also said that President Wickremesinghe expected the IMF staff-level agreement to be reached by the end of August, the report said, adding that Sri Lanka will have to secure upwards of $3 billion from other sources next year to support essential imports, including fuel, food and fertiliser.

He also told the newspaper it would be months before Sri Lankans would see any marked improvement in their economic circumstances.