CEPA agreement with India will affect SL: Wimal

10 September 2015 02:05 pm

Alleging that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Indian counterpart will finalise the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) during Mr. Wickremesinghe’s visit to New Delhi next week, MP Wimal Weerawansa today said Sri Lanka will be adversely affected by entering into such an agreement.

Mr. Weerawansa told a media briefing that the issue should be discussed in the Sri Lankan Parliament while the government should also brief the experts involved in the industries that CEPA is expected to cover.

“We are made to understand that CEPA is something which the two countries will focus during the visit of the Lankan Prime Minister to India and we will be compelled to oppose any move the two countries would take to finalise the agreement,” he said.

He said Sri Lanka might be adversely affected by such an agreement as issues similar to South Indian workers affairs could occur if the service sector is opened to India. “The South Indian Estate community population was an issue to both countries,” he added.

At the same time, Mr. Weerawansa said his party had decided to launch a leaflet distribution campaign across the country tomorrow while a protest will also be organised. (Yohan Perera and Sanath Desmond)