By Skandha Gunasekara
The Joint Opposition and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna will be voting against the Budget during the third reading vote on the Budget proposals while the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) remains undecided, The Sunday Morning learnt.
Leader of the Joint Opposition in Parliament, UPFA Parliamentarian Dinesh Gunawardena told The Sunday Morning that the Budget of the UNP-led Government was a failure.
“We have voted against the Budget of the UNP Government thus far and we have been debating it for a month, and our stance hasn’t changed. Some of their proposals have already failed and this Government’s economic mismanagement is continuously getting worse,” MP Gunawardena said.
He said that there would be a Joint Opposition group meeting next week on the final vote.
“We will have a group meeting in the coming week but I can confidently say that the Joint Opposition group in Parliament will be voting against the Budget,” he said.
Meanwhile, SLFP stalwart MP John Seneviratne said that he and SLFP parliamentarians aligned with the Joint Opposition and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa would be voting against the Budget.
“All the SLFPers who have thus far voted against the Budget, including myself, will once again vote against the Budget during the final vote.”
However, he said that he believed the Government would not lose the Budget vote as it had the backing of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).
“Even if the SLPP vote against the Budget along with the JVP, the Government will still have the majority with the support of the TNA,” he said.
He also noted that he did not know how the SLFP MPs supportive of President Maithripala Sirisena would cast their vote.
“They have abstained, so they may do so again, but I do not know what they will ultimately decide,” MP Seneviratne said.
Senior SLFP Parliamentarian Mahinda Samarasinghe informed The Sunday Morning that President Sirisena was yet to advise the SLFP group on what action to take in Parliament regarding the final vote on the Budget.
“We have not been instructed yet by the President on the matter. We are awaiting his decision.”
Meanwhile, JVP MP Sunil Handunetti said that the JVP would vote to defeat the Budget as well.
TNA MP Mavai Senathirajah told The Sunday Morning that the TNA had not taken any decision on how they would vote on the final vote.
“Usually we vote in support of the Government but we have not taken a decision yet on the final vote,” MP Senathirajah said.
He said that the TNA parliamentary group would meet this week and take a decision on the matter.
“The TNA parliamentary group will meet on Monday or Tuesday and come to a decision on how to vote for the final vote of the Budget” he said.
The third reading after which the final vote would be taken is to take place on Friday (5).
The Joint Opposition and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna will be voting against the Budget during the third reading vote on the Budget proposals while the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) remains undecided, The Sunday Morning learnt.
Leader of the Joint Opposition in Parliament, UPFA Parliamentarian Dinesh Gunawardena told The Sunday Morning that the Budget of the UNP-led Government was a failure.
“We have voted against the Budget of the UNP Government thus far and we have been debating it for a month, and our stance hasn’t changed. Some of their proposals have already failed and this Government’s economic mismanagement is continuously getting worse,” MP Gunawardena said.
He said that there would be a Joint Opposition group meeting next week on the final vote.
“We will have a group meeting in the coming week but I can confidently say that the Joint Opposition group in Parliament will be voting against the Budget,” he said.
Meanwhile, SLFP stalwart MP John Seneviratne said that he and SLFP parliamentarians aligned with the Joint Opposition and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa would be voting against the Budget.
“All the SLFPers who have thus far voted against the Budget, including myself, will once again vote against the Budget during the final vote.”
However, he said that he believed the Government would not lose the Budget vote as it had the backing of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).
“Even if the SLPP vote against the Budget along with the JVP, the Government will still have the majority with the support of the TNA,” he said.
He also noted that he did not know how the SLFP MPs supportive of President Maithripala Sirisena would cast their vote.
“They have abstained, so they may do so again, but I do not know what they will ultimately decide,” MP Seneviratne said.
Senior SLFP Parliamentarian Mahinda Samarasinghe informed The Sunday Morning that President Sirisena was yet to advise the SLFP group on what action to take in Parliament regarding the final vote on the Budget.
“We have not been instructed yet by the President on the matter. We are awaiting his decision.”
Meanwhile, JVP MP Sunil Handunetti said that the JVP would vote to defeat the Budget as well.
TNA MP Mavai Senathirajah told The Sunday Morning that the TNA had not taken any decision on how they would vote on the final vote.
“Usually we vote in support of the Government but we have not taken a decision yet on the final vote,” MP Senathirajah said.
He said that the TNA parliamentary group would meet this week and take a decision on the matter.
“The TNA parliamentary group will meet on Monday or Tuesday and come to a decision on how to vote for the final vote of the Budget” he said.
The third reading after which the final vote would be taken is to take place on Friday (5).