Budget 2023 at risk: Dayasiri

• If the budget 2023 gets defeated on December 8th  after the third reading, the country will have to face a snap Parliamentary election in accordance to the Constitution

By Sandun A Jayasekera

General Secretary of the SLFP and former Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara said if the budget 2023 gets defeated on December 8th  after the third reading as speculated by certain quarters, the country will have to face a snap Parliamentary election in accordance to the Constitution. 

In the event of failure of passage of the Appropriation Bill in Parliament, the Executive President will have no say as Parliament gets dissolved automatically, he stressed.
Under the normal circumstances, the President is required to dissolve Parliament when 113 members or more make a request or the President is empowered to dissolve parliament at any time on completion of two and half years since the inaugural session of Parliament which falls on February 19th, 2023, he told Daily Mirror.     

   
The clause 2 of paragraph 48 of the Constitution says that ‘If Parliament rejects the Statement of Government Policy or the Appropriation Bill or passes a vote of no-confidence in the Government, the Cabinet of Ministers shall stand dissolved.’ Jayasekara pointed out.

Commenting on the reported return of national organizer of the SLPP, Basil Rajapaksa, Jayasekara said the main purpose of his coming back was to save the fast crumbling Ranil-Rajapaksa regime from total collapse.

“He does not come back for the love of the country but to save the SLPP and the government from the public wrath. There are speculations on the possibility of a section of the SLPP members voting against the budget 2023 or at least to abstain from voting at the final vote after the third reading of the appropriation Bill. President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s continuous delay in swearing in of SLPP members has created a major split in the government ranks. Basil’s immediate responsibility will be to come to a compromise with President Wickremesinghe and compel him to appoint the members of the list forwarded by the SLPP as cabinet ministers. I believe that this will happen before the budget debate is concluded on December 8,” he said.  It is a sorry state of affairs that these politicians are keen only to consolidate their positions, perks and privileges in situation where 22 million people of the country undergo untold and unending sufferings, scarcities and misery, Jayasekara lamented.