I agree, but I am trying to give them the benefit of the doubt here that they are not just stupid or political opportunist with the country's national wealth. S

I agree, but I am trying to give them the benefit of the doubt here that they are not just stupid or political opportunist with the country's national wealth. So I am offering a reason why they might sell it for some 'smart' reason rather than just political gains prior to mid-election. Also you can argue that the amount of reserve to hold should always be a function of how much you are forecasting future demand, so if you know with high level of certainty future demand will crash due to a recession, it might be sensible to reduce reserve.