The Sri Lankan Supreme Court is to consider fundamental rights petitions seeking to the Government to transfer the government-owned shares in Yugadanavi Power Plant to an American company.
The Supreme Court has appointed a five-judge panel. Elle Gunawansa Thera and Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith l, General Secretary of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara, former JVP MPs Sunil Handunnetti and Wasantha Samarasinghe have lodged these petitions.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and other members of the Cabinet have named West Coast Power Pvt., New Fortress Energy, the US company that acquired the shares, the attorney general are been named as respondents.
US Millennium Challenge Corporation has withdrawn 480 million dollar grant to Sri Lanka on last year, which was not taken up by the Sri Lankan current administration.
“On December 15, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) board decided to discontinue the proposed Rs. 89 billion MCC development assistance grant to Sri Lanka due to lack of partner country engagement,” the US embassy in Colombo said.
Sinhala people have filed many cases against this agreement and many protests were conducted against USA.
The then opposition claimed that it would undermine the sovereignty of the country, force the country into defence deals with the US, get the country involved in a ‘economic corridor’ to transport US troops.
Sinhala people and Sri Lankan government allow Chinese and Indian projects in Sri Lanka but not to USA. Political analysis believe that the India plays in the background against the US projects, it beliefs US projects are security threats.
