Second Reading of Budget passed with majority of 103 votes

The Vote on the Second Reading of the Appropriation Bill for Budget 2013 taken up in Parliament yesterday evening received 156 votes in favour and 53 votes against. It was passed with a majority of 103 votes.

The UPFA and its constituent parties voted for the Bill while the UNP, TNA and the DNA voted against.

When the vote was taken up Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe stood up and said there were amendments to the Bill recommended by the Supreme Court in its determination on the case against the Appropriation Bill and the determination was that the Bill was unconstitutional. The Government should inform the court whether these amendments would be made before going for a vote on it, he said, querying the Government’s position in this regard.

Chief Government Whip and Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said the Second Reading of the Bill was over and called upon the Chair to move the House for a Vote.

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa said the question of amendments would come up in the Third Reading stage and moved the House for a vote. Leader of the House and Irrigation Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva sought a division by name.

When the names of frontline UNP members were called some of them said they were against what they called an unconstitutional budget. The Opposition Leader rising to vote called upon the House to vote against the Bill which he said contained provisions breaching the basic laws of the country.

The Government Members protested in unison, leading to the suspension of the process of vote taking for a few minutes.

The vote took around 35 minutes and the results were announced at 5.35 pm. When the results were announced, the Bill had been passed with a majority of 103 votes. There were 15 absentees. The House was adjourned till 9.30 am Monday to resume the Third Reading debate of the Appropriation Bill.

-UK