Govt. accuses Opposition of reneging on agreement by seeking unscheduled Parliament vote

• Kiriella says party leaders agreed not to seek vote during committee stage debates of Budget
• Says decisions reached the Party Leaders’ meeting should be honoured
• UPFA MP Anura Yapa defends decision to seek impromptu vote
• Says its responsibility of Govt. to ensure it MPs attend Parliament 

By Ashwin Hemmathagama – Our Lobby Correspondent

 The Government yesterday accused the Opposition in Parliament of going against the decision reached at the Party Leaders’ meeting to refrain from seeking a vote during the committee stage debates of the Budget.

“The decisions reached the Party Leaders’ meeting would be honoured if there are gentlemen in the Parliament. They should have kept their word,” Public Enterprise, Kandyan Heritage and Kandy Development Minister and House of Parliament Leader Lakshman Kiriella said.

The Minister said that the recent defeat of expenditure heads of the Ministry of Internal and Home Affairs and Provincial Councils and Local Government and the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development was a result of the Opposition reneging on this agreement.

“The Opposition broke this agreement. Such a situation would not have arisen if they acted according to the pact. They backstabbed in a similar way on 26 October,” he said.

Kiriella said the Opposition had asked for a vote having agreed during the Party Leaders’ meetings that they would not seek a division.

However, United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) lawmaker Anura Priyadharshana Yapa defended their decision to seek a vote.

“We play the role of the Opposition. It is the responsibility of the Government to get their members to come to Parliament. It is unfair to point fingers at us without playing the role of the Government. We will defeat them again if the chance arises in the future,” he said.

UPFA lawmaker Bandula Gunawaradana stated a minister has held a different opinion from the Prime Minister who rejected the defeat of expenditure heads as a matter of less importance.

“A Minister this weekend has held there are no provisions to pay salaries of 550,000 as a result of the defeat of the expenditure heads. But the Prime Minister held that the defeat of the expenditure heads will only reduce Rs. 320 million which can be put back or go-ahead without it. Prime Minister told the Parliament there is no issue in losing Rs. 320 million from a budget of Rs. 2,234 million,” said Gunawaradana, highlighting the contradictory statements of the Government benches.

Last Wednesday, the Opposition lawmakers defeated a part of the expenditure heads of the Ministry of Internal and Home Affairs and Provincial Councils and Local Government and all expenditure heads pertaining to Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development. 

The expenditure head 260 on District Secretariat Nuwara-Eliya received 20 votes in favour and 38 against. The expenditure heads from 261 to 321 of the Ministry of Internal and Home Affairs and Provincial Councils and Local Government got defeated receiving 23 in favour and 38 against. 

Last on the list, the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development and the Department of National Physical Planning was defeated with 24 votes in favour and 38 votes against.