Second Reading of the Budget passed in Parliament

The second reading of the budget proposals for 2023 was passed in Parliament today by a majority of 37 votes. 

The proposals received 121  votes in favour and 84  against. One member abstained. 

Tamil Makkal Thesiya Kuttani Leader C.V. Wigneswaran was the lone MP to abstain. Eighteen MPs were absent when the vote was taken. They included all MPs of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which had announced that they would abstain from voting for the budget. 

Several MPs in the opposition voted for the budget. Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MP Duminda Dissanayake broke ranks with his party to vote in favour of the Budget, while SLFP Leader Maithripala Sirisena voted against it. Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) Leader Jeevan Thondaman and CWC MP M. Rameshwaran also voted in favour of the budget. 

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Nimal Lanza, who is sitting as an independent with the opposition, also voted for the budget, as did MPs John Seneviratne and Priyankara Jayaratne, who are sitting with the opposition as part of a group led by MP Anura Priyadarshana Yapa. 

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) alliance, the Nidahas Janatha Sabhawa led by SLPP MPs Dullas Alahapperuma and Prof. G.L. Peiris and the Uththara Lanka Sabhagaya led by MP Wimal Weerawansa voted against the budget.