UPFA rebels stumped yet again

Despite widespread protest and agitation campaigns by the UPFA rebel MPs in and outside Parliament to defeat the maiden Budget of the National Unity Government, the vote on the Second Reading was passed with a two-thirds majority in Parliament on Wednesday (December 2) shattering the hopes of the UPFA rebel Group to throw a challenge at the government.

The Budget was passed with an overwhelming majority of 107 votes. The Budget received 159 votes for and 52 votes against while 13 MPs were absent at the time of voting. The notable absentees were UPFA MPs Manusha Nanayakkara and Lohan Ratwatte who were at the forefront of the ‘Bring back Mahinda campaign’. It was a clear reflexion on the divisions within the UPFA rebel faction and their failure to even muster the support of members of their own camp. Among the 13 Members absent at the time of voting were UPFA parliamentarians Mahinda Rajapaksa, Premalal Jayasekara, Geetha Kumarasinghe, Siripala Gamlath, Janaka Bandara Tennakoon and Kanaka Herath.

Hue and cry

Government parliamentarians made a big hue and cry on the floor of the House as former President and UPFA Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa was not in the Chamber when his name was called at the Vote on the Second Reading. This led to a noisy atmosphere in the House when the ruling party members who continuously shouted, queried from the UPFA rebel group on the absence of their leader.

The UPFA dissidents too made a song and dance on the absence of government members such as Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera, M.K.A.D. S. Gunawardena and Buddhika Pathirana. When the SLFP MPs holding portfolios of the National Unity government voted for the Budget along with UNP MPs, the UPFA rebel group shouted ‘shame’.

Only the UPFA rebel MPs and the JVP MPs voted against the Budget. Yet another significant development during the Vote was the decision by CWC and EPDP, the two constituent partners of the UPFA along with UPFA Badulla District MP Lakshman Senewiratne to vote for the Budget. Moving away from their traditional policy of voting against the Budget, 16 TNA MPs for the first time voted for the National Unity government’s maiden Budget.

Epoch-making event

Signifying an epoch-making event in the annals of the parliamentary history, President Maithripala Sirisena participated in the Third Reading on the expenditure Heads under the President’s office on Thursday (December 3). It was the first time that the President addressed the House when the Expenditure Heads coming under his purview were discussed.

The President also joined in the debate on the Expenditure Heads of the Defence Ministry in his capacity as the Defence Minister. This was a testimony to the President’s desire to restore good governance and uphold the democratic norms which he pledged to the nation.

Participating in the Third Reading debate on Expenditure Heads of the President’s office, the President said that he had pruned down many unwarranted expenses and thereby helped cut down the provision of funds for the President’s office. He said that the biggest victory achieved from the January 8 ‘silent revolution’ was that nine Independent Commissions could be set up.

President Sirisena who also addressed the House during the Third Reading debate on the Defence Ministry categorically refuted the allegations by the Opposition that the government has compromised national security. Responding to such allegations, the President questioned as to how the government’s policy on prisoners could be wrong when the former Government had released 12,000 LTTE prisoners which did not pose a major threat to national security? How could this small number of ex-LTTErs pose a threat to national security, he asked.

The President told the House that some political parties had used the release of detainees arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and lifting the ban on several diaspora groups, to gain political mileage.

JVP parliamentarian Sunil Handunnetti and UPFA parliamentarian Lakshman Senewiratne praised President Sirisena for making his appearance in the House during the debate on the financial expenditure under his purview. The two MPs said that this did not happen in the past when the Expenditure Heads of the President were being debated. Several government parliamentarians drew the attention of the House on the notable absence of former President and UPFA Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa.

National security

The former President deliberately ignored the Budget debate without responding to queries by Government MPs. Power and Energy Deputy Minister Ajith P. Perera appealed to President Sirisena to bring in new laws to remove the MPs – such as former President Rajapaksa for not participating in parliamentary proceedings. Deputy Minister Perera did so when the President came to the Chamber and took his seat during the debate on the Financial Heads of the President’s office. The Deputy Minister said that MPs elected on the people’s vote should serve them in return. They could not serve the people without participating in parliamentary proceedings.

If MP Rajapaksa did not participate in debates and continue to do so, the opportunity should be given to the candidate who had obtained the next highest number of votes from the Kurunegala district to participate in parliamentary proceedings.. Former President Rajapaksa for the first time spoke in Parliament during the debate on the Defence Ministry votes on Friday (December 4) since he was elected as an MP at the August Parliamentary Election. He called upon the Government not to jeopardize national security over petty political considerations such as their antipathy towards him and the Government, he led.

He also pointed out as to how this Government ‘ill-advisedly’ acquiesced in and co-sponsored a Resolution against Sri Lanka in October this year based on a report that there were ‘reasonable grounds to believe’ that Sri Lanka’s armed forces had committed grave crimes during the final phase of the war against the LTTE. Senior military officers who led the troops during the final phase of the war are to be retired without being given the usual service extensions, he said. He attempted to convince the House that sending these officers on retirement at a time when war crimes investigations are being highlighted is a clear instance of deliberately letting them down.