Sri Lankan govt not to sign MCC with US

Sri Lankan
Government has decided not to sign the Millennium Challenge Cooperation (MCC)
with the US Government.  Cabinet
Spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardana told today that the decision is based on
the recommendations of the Expert Committee and the agreement will not be
signed in its present form.

He said, the
government also considered national security concerns in relation with the
agreement adding that it was not in accordance with the Constitution. However,
he said, the government is prepared to have discussions with the US to make
amendments to the agreement.

The MCC
agreement is to provide a grant of 480 million US dollars to Sri Lanka for
development of transport and land deeds based on certain conditions. President
Gotabaya Rajapaksa had appointed a committee to look into the agreement after
coming into power last November while the former government had approved it.

The
government decision came as Sri Lanka’s relations with US and western nations
have soured in past few weeks. US Government imposed a travel ban on Sri Lankan
Army Chief Shavendra Silva and his family for alleged war crimes during end
phase of three-decade long LTTE war.