UPFA says cutting public finance unconstitutional

UPFA lawmaker Bandula Gunawardena – Pic by Ruwan Walpola 

By Nuwan Senarathna 

United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) lawmaker Bandula Gunawardena yesterday charged the two United National Party (UNP) led motions passed in Parliament to curtail budgetary allocation to the Prime Minister’s Office and Ministers’ expenditures were “illegal and unconstitutional”. 

As per the Constitution, such a motion can only be presented by a Cabinet Minister with the authorisation of the Cabinet, Gunawardena told reporters at the Prime Minister’s Office.

According to Chapter 14 of the Constitution, under clause of finance, Article 152 of Special Provisions as to Bills affecting public revenue, states that “ No Bill or motion authorising the disposal of, or the imposition of charges upon, the Consolidated Fund or other funds of the Republic, or the imposition of any tax or the repeal, augmentation or reduction of any tax for the time being in force shall be introduced in Parliament except by a Minister, and unless such Bill or motion has been approved either by the Cabinet of Ministers or in such manner as the Cabinet of Ministers may authorise”.

Gunawardena pointed out that as both motions were presented by UNP MPs who were not holding any Cabinet ministerial position, it had violated the Article 152 of the Constitution, insisting it was unconstitutional to pass the motions.

“This is not a legitimate motion. UNP and other Opposition parties had clearly violated the Constitution, Standing Orders and parliamentary traditions. Therefore, we don’t think that we should give much attention to this motion,” he added.

He said that he and MP Dinesh Gunawardena had gone to meet Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to discuss the legality of the motion passed in House. “Speaker Jayasuriya told us that he had consulted private legal experts regarding the matter, which is unacceptable” he charged.

Gunawardena also hit out at MP Ravi Karunanayake for presenting the motion, charging that he was accused of having close connections with the owner of Perpetual Treasures Arjun Aloysius, which was revealed at the Presidential Commission to inquire into the Central Bank bond. 

Meanwhile, Gunawardena also said that MPs who support Mahinda Rajapaksa would request the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) speed up investigations into complaints lodged against various UNP MPs.