President Ranil Wickremesinghe says Sri Lanka’s hardships will persist till the end of the year.

In his inaugural parliament address, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe says, ‘India has given us a breath of life.’ Sri Lanka is in great trouble, and citizens’ hardships will continue to persist till the end of the year. President Ranil Wickremesinghe informed the Parliament on Wednesday while seeking support from opposition parties unwilling to join his government.

“We are in great danger. The country could extricate and be secured from that danger only if we all face this challenge together as one people. It is vital that the honorable members of this Parliament, as well as the entire populace, contribute with their strength towards the effort of nation building,” were his words in his first address to the House after being elected as the President on July 20.

The six-time Premier rose to the country’s highest office amid an unexpected economic crisis that set off political disturbance, as mass protests of the citizens ousted the Rajapaksas, the former ruling party, although their party still holds a majority in the legislature. While some Sri Lankan citizens see the senior politician’s recent election as the reason for hope, others blame him for defending the discredited Rajapaksas and suppressing conflict by targeting critics.

Highlighting his plans, including a 25-year national economic policy, President Wickremesinghe reported that he expects to complete the staff-level negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) “expeditiously and successfully.” Mr. Wickremesinghe said, “We would submit this plan to the International Monetary Fund in the near future and negotiate with the countries who provided loan assistance. Subsequently, negotiations with private creditors would also begin to arrive at a consensus.”