copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2024-10-01): While facing its worst economic crisis in 2022 since independence, a multi-month street protest movement brought together a wide array of society and ousted then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. However, even after the spectacular political movement ousted the president, the parliament (which was dominated by Rajapaksa loyalists and had been elected in 2020) remained in power and chose Ranil Wickremesinghe as the new president. Wickremesinghe, a long-time politician and political insider, was seen in some ways as an interim leader who was still beholden to an old guard parliament. While he was able to secure a $3 billion IMF program for Sri Lanka, stabilize its economy and repair relations with many foreign donor nations, his tenure was marked by severe austerity under the IMF program and the continued use of the state’s police powers to stifle dissent and protest. The 2024 vote was the first presidential election since the economic crisis, providing Sri Lankans the chance to express their political and economic dissatisfaction at the ballot box. [...] His election platform detailed plans to ease the tax burden on the most vulnerable Sri Lankans, cut government corruption and increase transparency, and renegotiate the current $3 billion IMF program. His supporters do expect him to try to ease the austerity measures under the IMF program, but since being elected he has promised to continue the deal. Dissanayake has plans to immediately meet with the IMF for talks and proceed with negotiations to restructure external debt.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2024-08-22): While local government elections were due soon after — they would have given citizens a say after the country’s economy crashed — the Wickremesinghe administration maintained it could not afford to spend on an election amid urgent efforts towards economic revival. The elections to Sri Lanka’s local authorities, scheduled to be held in March 2023 and later April 2023, were postponed. The Election Commission said reasons for the move were "beyond" its control and Mr. Wickremesinghe, who is also Finance Minister, came under sharp attack for "blocking funds" needed for the election.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2024-09-18): Colombo, Sep 18 (PTI) Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday said that the island nation's bankruptcy is officially due to end on Thursday, remarks aimed at boosting his re-election chances on the last day of the presidential election campaign. [...] His rivals have condemned the hardships caused by his recovery effort but vowed to continue with the IMF program while trying to get the global lender to soften some of the tough conditions.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2024-08-02): "Progress in meeting key commitments under the IMF-supported program will be formally assessed in the context of the third review of the EFF. The timing of the third review will be discussed with the government after the recently announced presidential elections. "The IMF team held meetings with President and Finance Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Secretary to the Treasury Mr. K M Mahinda Siriwardana, and other senior government and CBSL officials. The IMF team also met with Parliamentarians, representatives from the private sector, civil society organizations, and development partners.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2023-02-21): The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP)-backed government, associated with the worst economic crisis Sri Lanka has ever faced, is expected to face a crushing defeat at the local council election. Therefore, the government has been attempting to postpone the election, through several constitutional and unconstitutional methods, until they receive the IMF bailout package of $2.9 billion. The government believes that this funding, along with the expected bridging finance could be used to stabilize the economy and that an election should be held at a more favorable time. [...] Executive Director of the Institute of Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES) Manjula Gajanayake told The Diplomat that no country has postponed elections under the pretext that there is no money in the treasury. President Ranil Wickremesinghe has blatantly attempted to influence the Elections Commission, which is an independent commission, as well as to spread false propaganda about divisions among commissioners, Gajanayake said. Given that the president has said that elections will not be held until the Sri Lankan economy is stabilized, it is unlikely that the government will provide the necessary funding unless mass protests compel them to. Why is the government trying so hard to delay elections? The most obvious reason is that it would suffer a massive defeat and that would delegitimize its existence. It won’t be able to carry out its IMF-approved program. This in turn would mean that they will not receive the IMF bailout that they are desperate to have. No political party wants to face that fate.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2024-04-02): In this context, the president’s recent statement that no elections will be held until the IMF programme is completed has caused speculation to grow regarding the presidential elections. An identical story in several newspapers states that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed Cabinet and the Election Commission that there is no chance of holding any election until the economic reforms programme that is being carried out with the International Monetary Fund is concluded. The President has said that the economic reform process done together with the IMF was crucial for the country to progress economically, and therefore, priority should be given to the IMF programme. The President has also said since the IMF programme is in effect until the end of July, no election will be held till such time. This will put to rest the hopes of those who want early parliamentary elections before the presidential election in the hope of cutting their losses in the event that their candidate does not win the presidential election. President Wickremesinghe has said that the presidential election will not be a hindrance to the IMF programme as the time for holding the presidential election comes constitutionally after the process of the IMF programme. According to the news reports the President has informed the Cabinet as well as the officials of the Election Commission to prepare for the presidential election first. This suggests that there will be no early parliamentary elections as lobbied for by a section within the government. The challenge will be to ensure the implementation of the IMF agreement before the presidential elections are called.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2024-04-01): In the span of two years, Sri Lanka saw one of the biggest protests in South Asia, ousted a president and his government, defaulted on its sovereign debt, declared bankruptcy, appointed an unelected president, went to the IMF for a bailout loan, delayed elections, moved even further away from justice and reconciliation, and celebrated 75 years of independence. While the resignation of president Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his family from government hinted at change for the country, the appointment of Ranil Wickremesinghe demonstrated a firm commitment to lack of reform or accountability. Austerity, intimidation, instability, and further decay followed. These economic and non-economic shocks converged to reveal a country where multiple crises of dissent, debt, decay, and decline were inextricably bound together, with no way forward yet in sight.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2024-03-30): President Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed Cabinet and the Election Commission that there is no chance of holding any election until the economic reforms programme that is being carried out with the International Monetary Fund is concluded. The President has said that the economic reform process done together with the IMF was crucial for the country to progress economically, and therefore, priority should be given to the IMF programme. [...] The President has also said since the IMF programme is in effect until the end of July, no election will be held till such time. The presidential election will not be a hindrance to the IMF programme as the time for holding the presidential election comes constitutionally after the process of the IMF programme, the President has stated while insisting the Government has planned the election map accordingly. The official also said the President therefore, informed Cabinet as well as the officials of the Election Commission to prepare for the presidential election first.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2024-07-26): During his two years in office, Mr. Wickremesinghe has vowed to rebuild the country’s economy with an International Monetary Fund-led austerity and reform programme. While no official announcement in regard to his candidacy was made until Friday, the senior politician has sought to highlight his efforts towards economic stability in recent public speeches, signalling a desire to contest. However, his government faces fierce criticism over high living costs, with several sectors demanding salary hikes to cope. [...] Both, Mr. Premadasa and Mr. Dissanayake have been campaigning with a pledge to end corruption and alleviate people’s economic distress through a renegotiated IMF package.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2023-03-24): The news this week of the International Monetary Fund deal raises both hope and questions on the economic trajectory of the country and the reforms ahead. Tough issues remain to be resolved on democratic governance, reconciliation, the postponement of local elections, and the right to peaceful protest among several civil liberties and human rights. [...] More than the $3 billion that we receive from the facility, the value of IMF support is far greater. The credibility that is attached to the IMF program helps unlock other sources of financing from development partners and the global market in general. Such financing is essential to build Sri Lanka's foreign reserve. [...] President Wickremesinghe: I was the only person who said that we still need the help of the IMF. I said that in 2020. I told them to go to the IMF in 2021. And again, I pleaded with the then-president, don't delay. Go to the IMF. That didn't happen. In 2002 when we are negative growth, as prime minister, I ensured they turned the economy around the next year. In 2015 when we came into power, again we had economic problems, but from 2016 to 2018, we were able to achieve the main goal of a surplus in the primary budget.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2023-03-20): Despite progress made under the 2016-19 EFF program, Sri Lanka’s vulnerabilities were aggravated by substantial shocks during the period, including the 2017 drought, the 2018 political crisis, and the 2019 terrorist attacks. [...] Sri Lanka: Prior Actions Under the EFF-Supported Program [...] At the time of the staff-level agreement on the EFF-supported program in September 2022, the authorities agreed to implement the three measures by end-2022.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2023-02-24): In flagrant violation of the country’s constitution and basic democratic rights, Sri Lanka’s unelected president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has cancelled the island-wide local elections to be held March 9. [...] Wickremesinghe made no commitment—not that such a commitment would be worth a single cent—as to when, if ever, the elections will be held. On other occasions in recent days he has said there will be no elections until there is an "economic recovery" and that the "economic recovery"—that is, squeezing sufficient revenue surpluses from Sri Lanka’s impoverished workers and toilers to resume debt payments to international capital—is dependent on "public order."
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2023-03-20): In July last year, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka is "bankrupt," adding negotiations with the IMF were "difficult." [...] In a statement Monday, Wickremesinghe praised the IMF’s decision, saying: "In the 75 years of Sri Lanka’s independence, there has never been a more critical period for our economic future." [...] Wickremesinghe previously told parliament that no local elections would be held until the country’s economy is on the right track.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2022-08-11): Having rallied around the demand for Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s exit for more than three months, certain elements within the community are moving out.73 Despite Wickremesinghe’s raid on 22 July, these groups contend that they have achieved their objective and that the next phase of their campaign—which they call the aragalaya, or uprising—will depend on how well the new administration handles the economic crisis. That, in turn, will depend on the completion of an IMF agreement and a debt-restructuring program. Political stability is an urgent imperative now, and it will boil down to how the Wickremesinghe administration will react to any future uptick in the protests, in Colombo or anywhere else.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2024-04-02): Did The President of Sri Lanka Say That No Election Will Be Held Until the End of the IMF Program? Find out the facts… [...] Source of the Claim: The claim originated from a headline in the Sinhala weekend newspaper "Silumina" on March 31st. The newspaper's front page reported that the President stated to the Election Commission and Cabinet Ministers that no election would be held until the conclusion of the IMF reforms program. However, in the newspaper's inside story, the report states that the President claimed the IMF program is expected to end by July of this year. Hence, there would not be any issue in conducting the elections thereafter. The article can be read here. Archived [...] Title:Did The President of Sri Lanka Say That No Election Will Be Held Until the End of the IMF Program? Find out the facts…
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2024-09-17): [1] On 22 August, the Supreme Court held that by postponing the local elections – ostensibly for lack of funds – the president and other officials were guilty of "arbitrary and unlawful" conduct that violated voters’ constitutional rights. "Sri Lanka court convicts president over vote delay", Agence France-Presse, 22 August 2024. In the opinion of various interviewees, the cancellation pandered to fears among businesspeople and diplomats that the expected victory of the leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, running under the banner of the National People’s Power, might weaken the government’s legitimacy and hinder finalisation of the IMF agreement. Crisis Group interviews, diplomats, politicians and lawyers, Colombo, March 2023. Likewise, the lack of international pressure for fresh parliamentary elections stems in part from the belief among many diplomats and development partners that Wickremesinghe is the only politician who can see the IMF agreement through. Crisis Group interviews, March-April 2023.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2024-09-20): While both Premadasa and Dissanayake have said they will continue with the IMF bailout negotiated with Wickremesinghe last year, they have pledged to reduce taxes and privatisation. Premadesa, in an interview with the Associated Press news agency, said he had already started talks with the IMF to ease people’s tax burden. [...] "If you look at the three main candidates, there is more or less consensus on having to continue with the current IMF programme.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2024-03-30): President Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed the Cabinet and the Election Commission that there will be no room for holding any election until the economic reforms work has been completed with the International Monetary Fund. [...] The President has also said that since the International Monetary Fund’s program is in effect until the end of July, no election will be held before then. The president has stated that the presidential election will not be a hindrance to the IMF program as the time for holding the presidential election comes constitutionally after the process of the financial fund and said that the government has planned the election map accordingly.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2022-07-16): Whoever takes control of the government, they will have to work out an IMF program as soon as possible and negotiate to restructure loans held by China, India, Japan and commercial lenders. Without a government in power, IMF loans will take longer to finalize, leaving Sri Lankans in dire need of food and fuel aid because they have no foreign reserves to purchase these items. [...] Wickremesinghe has asked parliament to undertake the constitutional process to elect a new president. Parliament will convene on July 16 and begin the process to elect a new president from among their ranks, with the election likely on July 20. Following negotiations with all political parties, it is likely that a compromise candidate will take up the presidency (possibly opposition leader Sajith Premadasa or even Wickremesinghe). An all-party coalition government will try to lead Sri Lanka through IMF negotiations to finalize economic relief and set the stage for fresh general elections.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2023-10-26): Although the Aragalaya demanded "system-wide changes" following the departure of the Rajapaksas, none have taken place since. This year’s local government elections were postponed indefinitely, against the ruling of the Electoral Commission of Sri Lanka (ECSL), by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who said it was too risky to conduct polling during an economic crisis. Wickremesinghe, whom some observers suggested sought to call off the elections to prevent an embarrassing ruling-party loss, further cited the economic crisis in deliberately withholding funds approved by the parliament for staging the polls. Wickremesinghe has also deployed security forces and utilized repressive laws such as the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to violently break up demonstrations at which participants called for elections, and to arrest protest leaders. Currently, no elections are scheduled until the presidential poll in the latter half of 2024. By leaving citizens without an immediate avenue to express their preferences via elections, and facing increasing risks associated with protests, Sri Lanka’s embattled leaders are both shielding themselves from public scrutiny and sending the message that debt restructuring and the economy take priority over democratic processes.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2023-07-20): Satkunanathan: The government of Wickremesinghe, who was elected president by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) — the party of the once politically dominant Rajapaksa family — is engaged in sustained efforts to enact repressive laws that stifle dissent and curtail the freedoms of media and civil society. Since parliamentary elections have not been held in the aftermath of the political crisis the current government is the same as the one headed by Gotabaya — the only difference is that Wickremesinghe is the president. Although the conditions of the IMF bailout package have pushed the government to propose some reforms, such as a new anti-corruption law, the lack of political will makes it unlikely that these initiatives will precipitate change in government behavior. Particularly since those in Parliament are the very same people who were part of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa regime and responsible for the multi-dimensional crisis with which Sri Lanka is still grappling. These parliamentarians have been reportedly demanding ministerial portfolios from Wickremesinghe to continue their support to him, thereby demonstrating the ongoing corrupt political culture and lack of accountability.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Says That No Election Will Be Held Until The End Of The IMF Program ! (Social Media Users, 2024-03-31)
Evidence (2022-05-09): During Wickremesinghe’s presidency, Sri Lanka made progress in obtaining the IMF extended fund facility and met all IMF conditionalities except those relating to debt sustainability. The main issue in this regard is the unwillingness of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to provide guarantees on debt restructuring. Wickremesinghe pushed through several reforms, including reversing the disastrous tax policy of the previous president. However, he continues to crack down on civil liberties and is using IMF conditionalities as an alibi for extra-constitutional maneuvers to postpone elections. This is an extremely dangerous trend for both democratic governance and the economic recovery of the country. Postponing elections would trigger a popular backlash, particularly against the IMF, and could lead to further cycles of violence. [...] Regarding economic recovery, the IMF EFF program aims to restore macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability, while also accelerating structural reforms of the economy. The government needs to achieve a broad local consensus on economic reforms to ensure that these reforms benefit all parts of Sri Lankan society. Failing to do so will result in more protests and violence. To achieve this consensus, the country needs the president to act as a consensus builder instead of being led by the preferences of a single political party and its interests. The IMF and other international partners should also demand governance reforms that address high-level corruption as part of the overall reform package. The IMF should be transparent about the conditions for its assistance and make them public, as long as they do not affect debt restructuring negotiations.