The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake

¶ 01 At the outset, I must say that making such statements misleads the public. First, we have already recorded in this House that there has been no violation of the Public Financial Management Act. Anyone with a basic understanding, after reading page 20 of the Public Finance Management Act and sections 23(1) and 23(2), will see that when an Appropriation Bill has not been presented, a Vote on Account may be presented. I request everyone who has raised this as an issue to please read those provisions.

¶ 02 Second, Hon. Members, we have had the Attorney General’s written opinion recorded in Hansard. The Attorney General clearly stated there is no legal impediment to presenting a Vote on Account; it is consistent with the law in Sri Lanka. When these matters are so clearly established, why are you speaking in this manner? If you came to the House after reading today’s Order Paper, it would be better. Please look at the Order Paper, Hon. Members.

¶ 03 Today’s Order Paper, under “Announcements by the Speaker and Business for the Day”, at item 10, states first:

¶ 04 “In terms of Article 150(2) of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, and in accordance with section 23(1) of the State Financial Management Act, No. 44 of 2024, that the proposal to present a Vote on Account be approved...”

¶ 05 This is in today’s Order Paper. Despite all this, Hon. Members speak otherwise. We cannot understand why. This does not mislead any MP; it misleads the public. A small clip is cut and posted on social media, and then people think Parliament is breaking rules and going back to the old ways. Therefore, I kindly request you to present genuine issues and genuine criticism. We are ready to accept them. Please do not bring back the toxic, old political practices. If you hope to come to power again someday, this will not help you. That is not the path to power. Overtake us by doing better on the right path, and then you will gain power. We request you not to confuse the public with falsehoods. This is a State Finance law. Please do not create unnecessary panic by saying people can go to court like in India. We make this request in the interest of the public.