The five amended tax bills were passed in Sri Lankan on Thursday with a majority of 25 amidst an exchange of blows. According to the electronic poll in the first round there were 106 votes in favour of the bills while 81 were against it.

The People’s United Front, JHU, SLMC and CWC voted in favour of bills while the UNP, SLFP (M), the JVP and TNA voted against it.

After the poll, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe raised a point of order saying the results of the poll could not be accepted. When the Speaker decided to repeat the poll using the old method the members of the opposition walked to the well of the chambers protesting against the decision.

The members belonging to the government also followed the opposition to the well and several members of the opposition including Mahinda Ratnatileke, Member for Ratnapura District, surrounded the Speaker and started demanding to cancel the poll.

A scuffle between the government members and the UNP Parliamentarians had to be settled by Parliamentary staff by dragging them apart.

However, the Speaker, using his prerogative, declared that the bills had been passed.

Taking part in the Parliamentary debate on five amended tax bills JVP parliament member Sunil Handunneththi on Thursday said the present government is a ‘re-load’ government.

Criticising the government for these bills, he said, “This is a re-load government. It has to get ‘re-loaded’ like a mobile phone is re-loaded. When its income goes down, the government, without waiting for the budget, ‘re-loads’ itself”.

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