The National Unity Government once again demonstrated its stability in the well of the House on Friday (November 18) with the passage of the Second Reading of Budget 2017 receiving two thirds majority which gave a strong signal to those who hatched conspiracies to topple the Government, to rethink of the efficacy of their strategies. The second reading of the budget received 162 votes in favour when another two parties, TNA and CWC in the Opposition also voted for the budget along with the constituent parties of the ruling UNP-SLFP coalition.Amid the big hue and cry by some Joint Opposition (JO) frontliners during the debate, they could muster only 55 votes against the budget including four JVP MPs.
Increased borrowings
The notable absence of former President and Kurunegala District UPFA MP Mahinda Rajapaksa was once again witnessed during the second reading vote of the budget. The Government legislators were seen shouting at the JO members when the name of the former President was announced for the vote, which was taken by name. Although the former President made a lengthy speech during the second reading, criticizing Budget 2017, as on several earlier occasions, he was not present in the chamber to vote against the budget along with all other JO MPs. On several earlier occasions too, the absence of former President Rajapaksa was witnessed at the vote, including the vote on the VAT(amendment) Bill.
During the second reading debate, at times, there were heated exchange of words between the Government and the Opposition legislators. The JO and JVP MPs who joined in the debate said, the budget had failed to provide relief to the masses and alleged, it has protected the interests of the international community at the cost of national interest. Former President Rajapaksa, in his speech, described Budget 2017 as a loketa parakase gedarata maragathe (Big show to the world, but calamity at home). He said, Budget 2017 paved the way for increased borrowings, taxes and fines. He alleged, the budget proposals contained the UNP’s economic policies of selling out public enterprises and depriving the people of their welfare rights and destroying the national economy. He said, the sad reality is, some SLFPers in the Government too have sullied their hands by supporting this budget and added that a true SLFPer would never have voted for this budget.
Fruitful results
JVP Kalutara District MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa described the Budget speech as a clear reflection of the Government’s privatization policy. He said, Budget 2017 has been formulated to satisfy IMF conditions and has not shown any interest for the general public. MP Jayatissa told the House, this budget helped expose that the two major parties more or less have the same policies on the economy, despite their claims to being otherwise. The SLFP and UNP are enacting the drama of “the blind and the lame beggars” as has been made amply visible from Budget 2017.
However, the Government legislators who countered the claims of Opposition members, pointed out, the budget proposals paved the way to provide relief to the people and take the country forward. Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister, Mahinda Amaraweera said, it is regrettable that those who are in the Opposition don’t see the positive aspects of the budget. What is important is to see whether the decisions taken by the Government have brought any fruitful results to the country. Minister Amaraweera told the House, the National Government had been formed to fulfil several key objectives. Therefore, the positive aspects of the budget should also be considered and if there are any shortcomings, the Opposition should point them out. Education Minister, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam who joined the debate, vehemently criticized the conduct of some of the JO members. He said, some JO members should be in jail, but they have been able to move freely as the incumbent Government doesn’t resort to take any personal revenge from its political adversaries. The Minister told the House ‘yaha palanaya’ has gone beyond its limit by allowing the JO members to play havoc as they wished. The JO should start from the beginning seeking pardon from the people for their wrongdoings, frauds and betrayals.Otherwise, “dashing coconuts” would not bring any tangible result for them, Minister Kariyawarsam told the vociferous JO members.
Joint Opposition Leader Dinesh Gunawardena drew the attention of the Speaker to JO members not being given adequate time to speak during the live telecast of parliamentary sessions. MP Gunawardena said, two television channels telecast Parliament sessions live during the first two and a half hours of sitting, and the JO members were not given time to speak during that period, and said, it is a great injustice to them. MP Gunawardena appealed to the Speaker that at least a single JO MP should be allowed to speak during that period. The Speaker told the MP he would pay attention to the matter.
Complaint
For the first time in Parliament history, a complaint was lodged at the Speaker’s office that an engineer attached to Parliament staff sat on the chair of the Speaker. This ‘drama’ by the Parliament engineer was exposed to the media after the UNP Matale District MP Ranjith Aluvihare made a written complaint to the Speaker. The engineer staged this ‘drama’ by giving orders to his subordinates from the Speaker’s Chair when the House was adjourned on November 16. MP Aluvihare in his written complaint has said, Parliament is supreme, and that an unelected person sitting on the Chair of the Speaker is not only an affront to the dignity of Parliament, but to the country at large. The following day, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya had instructed Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake to launch an investigation in this regard.
JVP Leader, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, on Thursday, (November 17) demanded to know why the state officials tasked with providing luxury vehicles to 58 MPs supporting the Government should not be accused of fraud. Making a special statement in Parliament, Dissanayake pointed out, the entire project of providing luxury cars to 58 MPs costs over Rs.2,430 million to the public purse. He said, as revealed by the media, the entire procurement process is questionable. This fraudulent process would warrant an investigation into the alleged fraud and the officials concerned would be probed. MP Dissanayke told the House, each of those MPs is currently paid Rs 200,000 as monthly transport allowance, and demanded to know why they were given cars at the expense of taxpayers. He said, those MPs had already obtained their duty free vehicle permits.
The following day, Finance Minister, Ravi Karunanayake responding to the MP’s query, asked Parliament what was wrong with providing vehicles to MPs involved in the Government’s development programs. He said, these MPs do not get facilities that Ministers are entitled to. The Government will receive Rs 25 million as import duty for each of the 58 vehicles to be given to the 58 MPs and added, the Government would be paid taxes, in addition to the saving of some amount of funds.