In Sri Lanka, an opposition party has demanded to appoint a special presidential commission (SPC) to review the Hambantota Port Agreement with a Chinese company. Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) General Secretary Udaya Gammanpila, who is part of Joint Opposition led by former President Mahinda Rajapakse said there is suspicion that someone may have received a commission from this deal as government is not stating the facts. His comments came as the proposed agreement, which was scheduled to be signed in January, has been delayed because of differences within the government. Ports and shipping minister Arjuna Ranatunga has opposed the agreement saying that it is not fair to Sri Lankan ports authority. <br/><br/>The framework agreement with a Chinese government company was signed in December last year but met protests from local residents of Hambantota. The agreement has already been challenged in country's supreme court by another opposition MP. The port was built with Chinese loan of 1.4 billion US dollars during Rajapakse regime but it remained unviable thus creating a debt burden for the government. The proposed agreement was to lease out the ports operations for 99 years and transfer of 80 percent stake to Chinese company. Analysts have raised concern that the increasing footprint of China may result in strategic imbalance in the Indian Ocean region.

In Sri Lanka, an opposition party has demanded to appoint a special presidential commission (SPC) to review the Hambantota Port Agreement with a Chinese company. Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) General Secretary Udaya Gammanpila, who is part of Joint Opposition led by former President Mahinda Rajapakse said there is suspicion that someone may have received a commission from this deal as government is not stating the facts. His comments came as the proposed agreement, which was scheduled to be signed in January, has been delayed because of differences within the government. Ports and shipping minister Arjuna Ranatunga has opposed the agreement saying that it is not fair to Sri Lankan ports authority. <br/><br/>The framework agreement with a Chinese government company was signed in December last year but met protests from local residents of Hambantota. The agreement has already been challenged in country's supreme court by another opposition MP. The port was built with Chinese loan of 1.4 billion US dollars during Rajapakse regime but it remained unviable thus creating a debt burden for the government. The proposed agreement was to lease out the ports operations for 99 years and transfer of 80 percent stake to Chinese company. Analysts have raised concern that the increasing footprint of China may result in strategic imbalance in the Indian Ocean region.