The Hon. Kabir Hashim

¶ 01 Hon. Chairman, please allow a little more time.

¶ 02 The present situation in the country is not adequately addressed by this Budget. Nevertheless, the Budget must be passed due to IMF commitments and as a condition for the next tranche. However, we urge the Government, and especially the President, to bring a Supplementary Estimate urgently to finance necessary public works and recovery. As the Opposition, we will extend support.

¶ 03 We recently boycotted Parliament not out of malice but to insist on our duty. The Opposition must support when necessary, but also oppose wrong decisions. We will not be puppets.

¶ 04 I raised water management earlier. A senior Irrigation engineer, Mr. Suriyabandara, speaking on television, acknowledged that while sluice gates are not automatic, in anticipation of heavy rains they can be opened manually in advance. He also noted that Met Department forecasts on the 12th were considered, but no red alert was issued. He said by 17-18 November there were indications, and by the 23rd they knew of increased rainfall. International media like the BBC warned of 400-500 mm rainfall. Why was there no action? Officials have limits. Political leadership was needed. Was that leadership given?

¶ 05 The Disaster Management Act of 2005 mandates a National Council for Disaster Management (NCDM) chaired by the President, with the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, 20 Cabinet Ministers and five Opposition MPs. It last met in 2018 and did not meet for seven years until President Anura Kumara Dissanayake convened it in August 2025, which we commend. But why was it not convened on 17th, 18th or 23rd November when clear warnings existed? Had it met, decisive steps could have been taken, including declaring a state of disaster under Section 11 of the Act. That could have minimized losses.

¶ 06 Public alerts using Cell Broadcast should have been used. It can push urgent alerts to all mobiles in a geographic area instantly, even on locked phones. The media should have been mobilized. Prevention and mitigation were not taken, and responsibility must be assumed.

¶ 07 We now see attempts to create a disaster fund managed by a private group. The Consolidated Fund and any disaster fund must be under parliamentary oversight. Is disaster management being privatized? Even President Anura, as an Opposition MP in 2022, cited Section 17 of the Act to say disaster spending must be through public funds to prevent racketeering. Why hand over to businessmen now?

¶ 08 We, the Opposition, are ready to support recovery. But when the President addressed Parliament, it was our Leader who proposed emergency regulations for disaster response, and the President assured these would not be used to suppress people. Yet a Minister asked Police to use emergency powers against social media activists. That is state intimidation. During “Burevi”, social media saved lives by raising awareness. Don’t suppress them.

¶ 09 On 27th the President came to Parliament; that night the cyclone had already passed. On 28th, at a meeting, Government MPs complained emergency numbers were not working. Even the President found they did not work and issued new numbers only after the disaster. If the Council had been convened on 17, 18 or 23, a state of disaster declared, and full authority exercised, deaths and destruction could have been minimized. Recovery must be done properly with Parliament and Opposition involved. This is a national disaster; do not politicize it.