SLPP criticises SLFP decision on 2019 Budget vote

By Nuwan Senarathna

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) yesterday criticised the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) for its decision to be absent during the final vote on Budget 2019.

The Appropriation Bill 2019 was passed in Parliament yesterday with 119 MPS voting in favour, while 74 were against it. However, a group of SLFP MPs, largely identified as loyal to President Maithripala Sirisena, abstained from voting. 

“If you refused to vote against the United National Party (UNP) Budget, that is a gesture of protecting the Government,” SLPP Chairman Prof. G.L Peiris told the Daily FT. 

Prof. Peiris raised concern over the genuine intentions of SLFP, insisting moves to abstain from Budget vote would not help to defeat the UNP Government or its economic policies that oppressed the public. 

“If the idea is to form an anti-UNP alliance, refusal to vote against the UNP Budget becomes a major consideration. It is a matter of simple logic: how can you claim to be anti-UNP if you refused to vote against the UNP Budget?” he charged. 

He pointed out that the Budget is the most important Bill, therefore no one should miss such opportunities to vote against it and oppose the harmful decisions of the Government. 

“People who took that stand to abstain from the Budget vote will have to explain to their respective electorates how they can credibly claim to be against the UNP and economic policies,” he added.  

However, even if the SLFP voted against the Appropriation Bill, the Government is still likely to have sufficient votes to pass the Budget. 

He pointed out that the SLFP’s decision had raised concerns in the wake of talks between the two parties to form a broader alliance against the UNP. He noted the key factor to form a broader alliance between SLFP and SLPP depended on shared trust and policies. The third round of talks between SLFP and SLPP will be held on 10 April.