Vote on Account tabled midst thunderstorm

Keeping to the current thunderstorm weather outside, the Parliament yesterday experienced turbulence from Opposition as the Government tabled the Vote on Account (VoA) for four months of 2010.
The VoA, which is tagged as the tenth in Sri Lanka’s history according to Deputy Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama who presented it in parliament last morning amid heavy interruptions from opposition members, is seeking Rs.361 billion.
Furore broke out in parliament when Amunugama stood in the well of the House to present the VoA with Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe insisting that according to Article No.151 of the Constitution the VoA could not be presented. “There is a conflict between the Constitution and the law therefore this VoA cannot proceed,” he said appealing to the Speaker to stop the presentation.
This sparked off a loud debate which lasted the better part of half an hour with the Speaker finally intervening to end the contention. He noted that under Article No.26 (1) of the Constitution by considering this as a ‘special circumstance’ the VoA could in fact be presented.
Charging that Wickremesinghe was using ‘podi tricks’ to cause disruptions Amunugama called on other MPs to do “politics” and not be wavered by the behaviour of the Opposition.
The VoA follows Cabinet recently approving President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s proposal to present a VoA for the first four months of 2010 to cover the government expenditure until a budget is presented in the new parliament after the general elections to be held before April of next year.
The debate over the vote-on-account will take place on November 5 and the vote will take place in the evening on Thursday, November 5.