• Lack of Govt. lawmakers gives unexpected chance for Opposition lawmakers
• Expenditure heads of Home Affairs defeated partly, Megapolis completely   

By Ashwin Hemmathagama – Our Lobby Correspondent

In an unexpected twist, Opposition lawmakers yesterday defeated 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 the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development. With the 19th allotted day of the Committee Stage Program of Budget 2019 coming to an end last evening, Opposition lawmakers started to gather inside the Chamber. 

While Speaker Karu Jayasuriya was reading through the numbers of each expenditure head, United Peoples Freedom Alliance lawmaker T. Ranjith De Zoysa was seen on his feet requesting a vote, which is uncommon for expenditure heads.

Even though the quorum bells were on for five minutes, the Government benches lacked adequate numbers to win the votes. 

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 was 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, receiving 24 votes in favour and 38 votes against.

During the votes, only two lawmakers of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kacchi (ITAK) were present in the Chamber to support the Government. Senior lawmakers of the United National Party (UNP), including Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, were not seen in the Chamber. Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) was also absent during the votes.

With the Government failing to win the expenditure heads, the UPFA lawmaker Mahindananda Aluthgamage held the UPFA was able to defeat the Government in the eyes of the world.

The Vote on Account will provide allocations for the Ministries till the end of April. Moving a supplementary estimate, the Government can allocate funds for the remaining months of the year for the defeated expenditure heads. Last time an expenditure head was defeated was during former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s tenure, when the supplementary estimate moved to fund Minister A. Thondaman’s portfolio was defeated.

Allocations made to the Department of Immigration and Emigration, Department of Registration of Persons, Department of Registrar General, District Secretariat Colombo, District Secretariat Gampaha, District Secretariat Kalutara, District Secretariat Kandy, and District Secretariat Matale were among the expenditure heads approved at the Committee Stage.

The expenditure heads which were defeated at the Committee Stage vote, under the Ministry of Internal and Home Affairs and Provincial Councils and Local Government, include District Secretariat Nuwara-Eliya, District Secretariat Galle, District Secretariat Matara, District Secretariat Hambantota, District Secretariat/ Kachcheri  Jaffna, District Secretariat/ Kachcheri Mannar, District Secretariat/ Kachcheri Vavuniya, District Secretariat/ Kachcheri  Mullaitivu, District Secretariat/ Kachcheri Kilinochchi, District Secretariat/ Kachcheri Batticaloa, District Secretariat Ampara, District Secretariat/ Kachcheri Trincomalee, District Secretariat Kurunegala, District Secretariat Puttalam, District Secretariat Anuradhapura, District Secretariat Polonnaruwa, District Secretariat Badulla, District Secretariat Moneragala, District Secretariat Ratnapura, District Secretariat Kegalle, Western Provincial Council, Central Provincial Council, Southern Provincial Council, Northern Provincial Council, North Western Provincial Council, North Central Provincial Council, Uva Provincial Council, Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council, and the Eastern Provincial Council.

The Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development and Department of National Physical Planning, listed under the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development, was defeated completely.

In response, the UNP backbencher Wijepala Hettiarachchi rejected the Opposition claims to have defeated the entire budget, claiming it is but a negligible setback.

“You should have defeated the second reading. Remember that we won the second reading by 46. We can bring in lawmakers tomorrow to pass expenditure heads. You are taking advantage of tea breaks, lunch breaks, and the toilet breaks. We respect democracy, and you are only good at conspiracies. We do remember how you behaved during the recent past. By defeating the expenditure heads you have prevented money getting allocated to Provincial Councils,” he said. 

Defeat only symbolic: Kiriella