Middle East conflict Convert threats into opportunities; Opposition MPs tell President

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana

Several opposition MPs who met President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Parliamentary complex yesterday urged him to convert the threats posed by the Middle East conflict into opportunities. 

Opposition MP Ravi Karunanayake told Daily Mirror that he had informed President Dissanayake to allow Middle Eastern airlines to use Mattala Airport. “I have been making this proposal since the Middle East conflict began. However, I was able to make a personal request from the President yesterday,” he said. 

MP Dayasiri Jayasekara, in his speech in the House, said he also informed the President that Sri Lanka should make use of the opportunity to transform the country into a logistics hub. “I also requested the President to allow local exporters to collect stocks of fuel they need for their industries. We also informed the President to take steps to repatriate Sri Lankan expatriate workers who have lost their jobs in the Middle East. I made this request after hearing that some hotels in the Middle East are facing closure,” he said. 

Furthermore, the MP said he told the President to expedite the setting up of the proposed coconut chamber. “There is a great demand for coconuts from Iran. Sri Lanka can make use of this situation as soon as the conflict is over if the coconut chamber gets off the ground soon,” he said. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Gayantha Karunatilleka, Rauff Hakeem, Rishad Bathiudeen, Chanaka Madugoda, Anuradha Jayaratne, S. Sritharan and Shanakiyan Rasamanickam joined MP Jayasekara and Karunanayake for the meeting with the President. Leader of the House Bimal Ratnayake and Chief Government Whip Nalinda Jayatissa accompanied the President.