The Hon. Imran Maharoof

¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Presiding Member.

¶ 02 In the debate on the Second Reading of the 2026 Budget, many views are being presented. Members on the Government side say this is the best budget in history. Taking into account some of the proposals put forward by the Opposition, I think we can ask a number of questions and seek clarifications here.

¶ 03 They say this 2026 Budget is the best in history. On what basis do you say that? As Minister of Finance, Hon. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake spoke in this House for four and a half hours presenting the Budget. Many listened to that speech for four and a half hours because it was he who presented it. If another member of your party had presented the same Budget and spoken for four and a half hours, how many in this Parliament would have stayed awake?

¶ 04 Today, when the Opposition speaks critically about this Budget, you cannot bear it; you are struggling and speaking at cross purposes. Look today: how many Ministers and MPs on the Government side are actually speaking on the Budget? How many are presenting relevant points? They speak forgetting many things. Shame! Some Ministers seem to be in a coma. They say, “When we took over the Government there were petrol queues and gas queues; we took power when the country was in an economic crisis.” They have forgotten that they took over the Government in 2024. A year has passed; they have already tabled the 2026 Budget in this House, yet they still speak as if they only just inherited a crisis from 2021-2022. That is truly concerning, Hon. Presiding Member.

¶ 05 As an Opposition we are giving you the opportunity in an orderly way. But some problems are being created by your own side—by Government Ministers and Parliamentarians. Looking at the 2026 Budget, there are indeed acceptable items and there are items that cannot be accepted. It is a book of proposals. How are you going to build confidence for us to accept it? During the presidential election and the last general election you campaigned with the theme “Prosperous Country – Beautiful Life.” How many of the promised items have you actually delivered? In your 2025 Budget, how many of the listed items have you implemented so far? You have not even fulfilled 40-50 percent. In that case, how is an Opposition to believe this new Budget? Understand this yourselves.

¶ 06 Your problem is not the Opposition; your problem is your own election manifesto. All of you speaking here must understand what you said during the presidential and parliamentary elections. What was your policy on the IMF then? What was your policy on India then? What was your policy on issues like unemployed graduates then, and what is it now? We wish to ask.

¶ 07 You are a new Government with many new MPs, some now Ministers. We have a responsibility to give you time. But you are still clinging to the past. Think a little! How many former Ministers are in today’s Opposition? A few; some have come via the National List. The people who clearly voted for you and created an opportunity for you did so based on some trust that you would deliver. Instead, you are still blaming and criticizing previous governments and politicians. Move on and bring good measures. Do things in such a way that people will accept that “even if the Opposition says this or that, they are getting things done.” That is what we ask of this Government.

¶ 08 Hon. Presiding Member, today some Ministers or Tamil and Muslim MPs in Government say in Parliament there is no racism or regionalism among them, no divisions by ethnicity. But their actions still promote racism. In previous governments, racism was openly wielded. Today they may not speak racism on platforms or in Parliament, but they carry it through their actions.

¶ 09 For example, when they formed the Cabinet, we asked, “Is there not even one Muslim MP in your Cabinet?” They said, “Please do not make this about racism.” Fine. Then they appointed a team to implement the Clean Sri Lanka initiative; even there, Tamil speakers were overlooked. When we asked about that, again they said, “Don’t stir racism!” When we say allocations to the North and East are low, they say, “Don’t speak on a regional basis; we have made allocations on a national basis.”

¶ 10 Likewise, through a Gazette of 01 November 2025, they formed an Advisory Council for the Department of Archaeology with about 19 members, yet not a single Tamil or Muslim was appointed. When we ask about it, the response is, “Don’t make it racist; we will do it in due course.”

¶ 11 Recently, the General Secretary of the National People’s Power (NPP) said in an interview, “We do not give positions on an ethnic basis. If they have the competence and experience, we will give positions.” If so, among the Muslim MPs of your party who won and came to Parliament, was not even one qualified to be a Cabinet Minister? We ask you this.

¶ 12 So please stop misleading people with such false statements and stop mocking the Opposition. Focus on your own mistakes and build a better footing. Having 159 MPs is unprecedented and a historic opportunity. With such numbers, you can bring many good things through Parliament. Many of the things you speak of here can be done within a few days. Yet you are not doing so; you are dragging them out.

¶ 13 Specifically, the Provincial Council elections are being discussed. The Hon. President says, “We have the money to hold the election, but not a proper electoral system.” Is electoral system reform such a massive matter needing so much time? You have 159 MPs. Decide the basis on which you will hold the poll, bring it for a vote, and you can have a solution within a day. Please stop dragging matters and move good things forward. As I said at the start, Opposition means criticism, yes, but our aim is not to oppose the Budget for the sake of opposing.

¶ 14 Your time is over, Hon. Member.

¶ 15 I will conclude, Hon. Presiding Member. When we point out shortcomings and allocations or development needs in our region and province, you magnify them, interpret them differently, return to 70-75 years of politics, and thereby negate our points. We will always support good measures. Therefore, considering these matters, when you bring good plans that meet people’s needs, we, as the Opposition, will certainly extend cooperation and contribute. With that, I conclude my speech.