Parliament 8th June, the Opposition claimed that President Ranil Wickremesinghe had bought MPs’ support for his presidential campaign with the decentralised budget and bar permits.
Dayasiri Jayasekera the dissident SLPP MP for Kurunegala District raised a point of order, claiming that some opposition MPs had gotten money from the decentralised budget and other benefits in exchange for their vow to back the government.
“Opposition accuses President of buying off its Members of Parliament with a decentralised budget.”
Lakshman Kiriella, the Chief Opposition Whip for Kandy District SJB MP, asserted that 500 bar licences had been issued. “Opposition MPs who vowed to support the president and the government were granted these licences. While granting bar licences, the President visits Parliament and delivers a sermon on Buddhism.
“I have spent thirty-five years in this Parliament. We never once needed to plead for money from the decentralised budget. Regardless of their stance on the government, every MP received them. The decentralised budget allocations have now been made available on a selective basis. I want the chair to rule that each Member of Parliament should receive their allotted decentralised budget,” Kiriella uttered.
Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, the Speaker, promised to investigate the situation.
Kiriella: Do not take too long, please. You continue to put things off. How come you’re not able to rule? This is equivalent to paying bribes.
Harshana Rajakarauna, the MP for SJB Gampaha District, informed Parliament yesterday that the government has chosen two methods for providing the MPs with funding from the decentralised budget. “The vast majority of opposition MPs have not received any funding. Decentralised budgets are only available to a limited group of Members of Parliament from the Opposition. Each recipient of the funds received between Rs 200 and Rs 300 million.
“While the MPs who support the government have each received 100 million rupees, MPs like me, Mujibur Rahuman, and Buddhika Pathirana have not received a single cent.” This is being done with public funds. This is equivalent to MPs’ privilege being violated. It is known that some of the recipients of the funds are now mute when it comes to criticising the administration. Thus, MP Rajakaruna stated, “The President intended to silence them by providing these funds.”
Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, the Chief Government Whip, stated that although decentralised budget funds were not distributed, certain Members of Parliament had submitted project ideas to the President, who authorised funding for their execution based on the needs discussed in rural committees for village development. According to the Minister, the majority of other MPs don’t even show up for rural committee meetings, so they don’t have these kinds of projects.
