No Budget blues!

•  2015 Budget gets Parliamentary passage with no crossover dramas

•  152 votes in favour; 57 against and 15 MPs including defectors absent

•  Weerawansa warns CBK will never permit handover of power to Ranil

•  Opposition flagsoncerns about debt burden and servicing

•  “The time has come to decide”: JVP Leader

•  UNP Harsha and Sajith say will not hurl leaders or soldiers to war crimes tribunals

By Ashwin Hemmathagama
Our Lobby Correspondent
President and Finance Minister Mahinda Raja-paksa’s 2015 Budget was comfortably passed in Parliament yesterday, with no crossover dramas to mar the process to allocate monies to meet recurrent, capital and other State expenses next year.

At 5:30 p.m. yesterday, the vote on the Third Reading of the Budget was taken by name and was passed with a majority of 95 votes.
The Government, which was beleaguered by defections late last week, received total 152 votes in favour.
There were 57 votes against from the UNP, TNA and NDP and 15 MPs were absent. In a noteworthy development, the seven MPs from the UPFA who defected to the Opposition were not in Parliament during the Third Reading of the Budget yesterday.President Rajapaksa’s former Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena, who declared himself the common Opposition challenger in the 2015 presidential race last Friday, was not present in the House since   he was travelling in Kandy and Anuradhapura..
Much-anticipated crossover dramas did not ensue, with both Government and Opposition members rumoured to be planning to pole-vault telling the House that the speculation was false.
Budget 2015 happens to be the 69th Budget of independent Sri Lanka and the 10th Budget of the United People’s Freedom Alliance Government. The Budget process for 2015 was initiated on 24 October, with the presentation of Appropriation Bill 2015 to Parliament. This was followed by the Budget Speech delivered by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on 24 October.

“Executive presidency changes people”: Maithripala  Common opposition candidate visits Kandy, gets Chief Prelates’ blessings  Wows to restore democracy, rule of law Says President Rajapaksa changed after war ended Executive Presidency ruins people – I am committed to abolish it: Sirisena  System has no parallel in the world in terms of amount of power given to individual President Mahinda Rajapaksa changed after the war ended and peace was achieved, his main opposition challenger, Maithripala Sirisena said yesterday. “The executive presidency ruins people and misdirects them. It is a problem with the system, irrespective of individuals,” Sirisena told journalists in Kandy yesterday. He said the SLFP had been agitating against the executive presidency since 1978. “As far as I know, the Sri Lankan executive presidency has no parallel in the world for the enormous amount of power it affords the holder of office,” Sirisena explained. The Opposition candidate explained that there had been discussions about the problems with the executive presidential system within the Government while he served. “All the ministers and MPs talked about it, whatever they might say in defence of the system today,” he revealed. Sirisena said if elected, he would towards restoring democracy and rule of law in the country. Since announcing his candidacy and deciding to leave the Government, Sirisena said he felt relieved. “I feel like an enormous pressure on me has lifted. My mind is clear now. I have an opportunity to work for the people and this country. This is making me happy – maybe that’s why I am starting to look better,” he quipped in response to a question by a journalist. Skipping Parliament yesterday, Maithripala Sirisena paid homage to the Sacred Temple of the Tooth in Kandy and invoked the blessings of the Chief prelates of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters. Sirisena, who was accompanied by UNP Leadership Council Chairman Karu Jayasuriya, UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella and DNA MP Arjuna Ranatunga, held discussions with the Chief Prelate of the Asigiriya Chapter, Ven. Udugama Sri Buddharakkitha Thera yesterday. Thereafter he met with the Anunayake the Malwatte Chapter Ven. Niyangoda Vijithasiri Thera, since the Chief Prelate of Malwatte was overseas. Following his meetings, Sirisena told the media that he had received the blessings of both chapters. The former Health Minister said that as a Sinhalese Buddhist he had resolved upon taking up this challenge to contest the presidency, that he would strengthen reconciliation among Sinhalese, Muslims and Tamil people. Striking a note for religious freedom Sirisena pledged to ensure the freedom of faith and promote reconciliation between religious groups in Sri Lanka, a cause heavily championed by former President Chandrika Kumaratunga through her think-tank SAPRI. During his visit to Kandy, where there is a large Muslim population resident, Sirisena also visited a mosque and held discussions with devotees and religious elders in the premises. (DB)

The Budget has since moved into committee and debate stage, in order to meet the Legislative requirements to ensure the Government allocations are passed constitutionally in the House. The Committee Stage Debate commenced on 3 November to debate and discuss the respective estimates of heads of expenditure listed under each Ministry.
The Ministry of Finance and Planning, which happens to be the last of the ministries in this list, had a full-day debate prior to the vote-taking last evening in Parliament with the participation of all members.
Opening the debate, Opposition lawmaker Dr. Harsha de Silva charged that the Government was increasing debt and burdening the public.
“We all held in the House that the common man on the street does not feel the development. The next Government will continue the current development programs, but will add transparency and avoid unsolicited proposals. We have heard that Sri Lanka is issuing sovereign bonds. Who are the people buying these bonds? The money that gets stolen is reinvested in Sri Lanka on these bonds, a round-tripping by the politicians who have several passports and green cards,” said MP de Silva.
Clearing the recent allegations against him about supporting pro-LTTE diaspora after a widely-watched Al Jazeera ‘Inside Story’ segment, De Silva said that he had spoken against the Global Tamil Forum opinion on the show.
“I was against GTF and their opinion. I clearly held that there were all kinds of allegations and the Government was saying nothing happened and zero casualties. I highlighted their extreme view and said a credible investigation was required,” De Silva told the House.
“I am not afraid to call a tiger a tiger. We are also Buddhists from southern Sri Lanka. It is my personal opinion that, whether President Rajapaksa wins or loses, neither I nor the UNP will allow him to be taken to the international criminal court,” he explained.
Minister of International Monetary Co-operation and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Sarath Amunugama said there were different types of aims and the economy was part of it while others would be national security, independence and integrity, human resource and infrastructure development.
“The ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ Budget was prepared to address these. We are unable to avoid the global market and the respective economy. No country can avoid it. But some hold that the State sector has little or no role to play, to which we don’t agree. Take our sea ports, which are mix of public-private partnerships. The Port of Colombo has private and public sector gantries engaged in loading and unloading,” the Minister said.
Promising future prospects, Minister Dr. Amunugama said that after the Colombo Port City was completed, there would be more land since sea erosion had swept away large amounts of land.

UNPers say they won’t quit Three UNP Members strongly rumoured to be crossing ranks to the Government yesterday strongly denied the claims. UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, who was reportedly being baited by the UPFA in a tit-for-tat move against the snatching of SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena, announced that he had no intention to cross over on the UNP’s official Facebook page yesterday. Attanayake has been unavailable for comment over the telephone. UNP MPs Palitha Range Bandara and Palitha Thawarapperuma also denied they were crossing over. Both MPs said they would not thwart their elected mandates by crossing over for money. They made statements in Parliament yesterday, denying the rumours on websites and social media. Responding to the MPs’ claims, Government Spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said claims that the Government was attempting to buy Opposition MPs were totally false. Rambukwella claimed a large group of UNP members were waiting to hold a meeting with their Party Leader to express their dissatisfaction regarding the choice of candidate to contest President Mahinda Rajapaksa. “The Government is no way shaken by these recent political developments,” Rambukwella said. The MPs emphasised that they have no intention of leaning towards a Government where lawlessness rules. (DB)

“You in the Opposition are nothing more than a bunch of fools looking at the finger when it is pointed at the moon. Take Prof. Sarath Gunalapala, a Sri Lankan working for NASA in Houston. He is engaged in sending a rocket to moon to examine the soil and rocks. We have included the private sector in our economic plan to develop the country in line with the ‘Mahinda Chinthana’,” Minister Amunugama charged.
Joining the debate, UNP Puttalam District MP Palitha Ranga Bandara denied charges that he was going to join the Government. “Today in the electronic media including some newspapers it is reported that I will cross over for millions and a vehicle in return. I checked my birth certificate to make sure if my father is K.B. Range Bandara or just a frog. I will not get bought for money. I will not join this corrupt regime,” the UNP MP vowed.
JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Parliament that the nation was at a crossroads. “We have arrived at a crucial point. We all should take a decision. Listen to your Secretary General of the SLFP. Don’t listen to me; I am a JVPer. If he, being the Secretary General, had to undergo such pressure, what is the position of the general public? Having raised your hand to vote for the 18th Amendment and later saying otherwise is not the type of Parliament we want,” Dissanayake charged.
Minister of Highways, Ports and Shipping Rohitha Abeygunawardena retorted that the JVP could not stand with the same people who killed their supporters in 1988 and 1989. “The dollars promised are not there. Don’t go on canvassing in the lobby. Ven. Rathana Thero, where would you stand when the TNA says to remove all Buddha statues after removing all military camps in the north?” the Minister asked.
Abeygunewardane added that the Government would not take Range Bandara even if he offered it money.
UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa said Budget 2015 was a national disaster.
“This is nothing more than a debt and pressure list. The Government is no longer interested in safeguarding the public interest but its own interest. Recently the health insurance of the members was increased despite people finding it difficult to take medicine from the hospitals due to serious shortage. Where is the glass of milk promised to preschools? The launch was held in Nuwara Eliya and the entire program was terminated after three days. The Government can’t give the pre-schoolers the glass of milk but Members of Parliament are given health insurance worth millions. Swimming pools, clubhouses and gymnasium facilities… a members’ complex is now under construction. Is this the ‘Miracle of Asia’ and are these the requirements of the country?” the UNP MP asked.
Premadasa urged Parliament members to look into their hearts. “What do you value more? Your health or the future of the nation?” he said.
Premadasa noted that there were over four million school children in Sri Lanka but only one million of them were able to have a mid-day meal. He charged that Parliament was filled with “casino dealers, ethanol importers and drug peddlers.”
“We heard that LTTE was planning to take the leaders and the war heroes to international tribunals and to recreate the LTTE in the country; they are completely mistaken. The LTTE will not be tolerated and we will not allow them to take any Sri Lankans to international courts,” added MP Premadasa.
UNP MP Dr. Harsha De Silva told Parliament that his party is fully committed to protect the security forces who freed the country from terrorism and the political leaders.
“I am telling to the world. We (UNP and myself), will not allow anybody to take President Rajapaksa or any other leader to International court about War Crimes, We will not allow the President whether he won or lose to be tried before war crime tribunals,” Dr. de Silva stressed.
Explaining the comments made in the interview with the Al Jazeera TV amid heavy interruption from Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, the UNP MP said he was unfairly and falsely accused of siding with the terrorist elements by the Minister.
Dr. de Silva said he was informed that Minister Keheliya Rambukwella will also be present at the interview along with him and he agreed to discuss the economic issues. However, without their knowledge Al Jazeera has also invited the spokesman for the Global Tamil Forum Suren Surendran.
The MP said, at the interview responding to the GTF spokesman’s allegations he stressed that he was not going to agree with the extreme views of both sides and insisted that what was needed is a credible domestic investigation.

Minister of Wildlife Resources Conservation Gamini Wijith Wijayamuni Zoysa said it was shameful that the Opposition had to take a ruling party man for its candidate. “This is nothing more than a mega tele-drama,” he charged.
Minister of Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Wimal Weerawansa said the modern ability to live in an advanced democracy was not available in 2005.
“Then the only thing discussed was how to win the war. Karu Jayasuriya was supposed to be the common candidate until recently. By the time you got up in the morning there was no Ranil, Karu, or Sobitha Thero.  What you had was a snatched common candidate. The numbers shown to Ranil were fake. Former President Chandrika gave Ranil a dead rope. Leave 60 members aside, but it will be good to take at least 15,” Weerawansa challenged.
Ex-President Kumaratunga would never permit Sirisena to hand over power to Ranil Wickremesinghe, Weerawansa added.
UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake charged during the debate that the Government was yet to show how the debt burden would not be placed on the shoulders of the public.
“How are you going to pay the salary increase? Per capita debt in 2004 was at Rs. 78,800. It is now at Rs. 442,000. The private sector salaries are not increased directly, but on the other hand the expenses are also increased. The Government has increased per capita debt. All chambers have raised alarms,” Karunanayake warned.
He said the Ceylon Chamber showed the number of people earning less than a dollar a day.  “Neither the Cabinet nor the ministers are paying these loans. The Government is not borrowing from international lending institutions subjected to conditions. The Government borrows at 7-8% from Chinese banks,” he charged.