Rush-thro’ budget another attempt by Rajapaksa administration to undermine democracy, says UNP MP
View(s):The Rajapaksa administration is trying to ram the 2014 budget through parliament by deliberately cutting the debate short, Opposition MP Eran Wickramaratne has alleged,
In a statement to the media on Wednesday, he said that this is yet another attempt to undermine democracy, Parliament and in the process the rights and freedoms of the people of this country.
He said Article 148 of the Constitution specifies that Parliament has full control over finances and the most important scheduled debate in Parliament is the Budget debate.
“A citizen cannot be taxed a single rupee without Parliament’s approval. That approval is not limited to the vote in Parliament by the use of an artificially created majority. The debate in itself is a part of the approval process. If allowed to happen, this budget debate done at lightning speed will be one of the shortest in parliamentary history. Nobody asked for a rushed budget. The government is running scared after the results of the Uva elections and is trying to escape criticism and accountability by strangling the budget debate process,” the statement added.
He noted that it has been the practice in this “once-democratic” nation for representatives of the people to be given adequate time to express their views in parliament. “The standing orders provide for 26 days of debate. However we now understand that the budget will be held on October 24. The second reading starts the next day and is to end on the 30th. The committee stage debate will then take place, which will then end on November 18th. The debate will be 20 days instead of the 26 days provided for in the standing orders,” Mr. Wickramaratne said.
By deliberately slashing the time of the debate, the Rajapaksa administration is attempting to muzzle parliament itself and undermine its control over the country’s finances, the MP alleged, and noted that, “this attempt comes as questions are raised about the economic data, budget numbers and skyrocketing foreign debt levels by legislators, economists and concerned members of the public”. The inadequacy of household income, the inability of people to meet their health costs, the desperation of youth who are living without appropriate employment, income and hope needs to be addressed in the budget debate, he said.
“It is an irony that Sri Lanka has the largest Cabinet and number of Ministries for any government in the world, but is moving to have the shortest budget debate. If at all the number of days for the budget debate should have been increased,” he added.