Second Reading of Budget passed

by Uditha KUMARASINGHE

The vote on the second Reading of the 2010 Budget was passed in Parliament with a majority of 63 votes.

The final count said that there were 138 votes for and 75 votes against the Budget. Eleven members were absent.

The Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga asked for a division by name. The UNP, DNA, TNA and SLMC voted against the Budget. UNP Kandy District MP Abdul Cader voted in favour of the Budget.

When the voting was going on, the UNP MPs led by its leader rising from their seats started to shout various slogans.

As a result, difficulties were encountered to conduct the voting and parliament staff members were forced to go to each member to record his or her vote. The MPs of back benches of both sides were seen shouting slogans at the same time a bottle of water was hurled from the back benches of the Government side apparently targeting Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe missed its target and hit Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga standing next to him.

This led the Opposition MPs to shout in protest of the attack and called for justice while the voting continued.

After the Speaker announced the results and declared that the second reading of the Budget 2010 was passed, the Leader of the House, Minister Nimal Sripala de Silva told the House that the Government would move a motion on Monday (July 5) against the MPs who attempted to disrupt to conduct the vote by setting up a bad precedent. The third reading of the Budget will commence on Monday. The vote on the third reading of the Budget will take place on Friday (July 9) at 6.00 p.m.