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Forty parliamentarians, including six from government benches, were not present to vote on the domestic debt optimisation resolution.
July 02, 2023
The parliamentary resolution on domestic debt optimisation was passed by the House of Parliament last evening with 122 votes in favour and 62 against. Forty members of Parliament were not present to vote either way.
The conspicuous absentees were former presidents Maithripala Sirisiena (Polonnaruwa) and Mahinda Rajapaksa (Kurunegala), former leader of the opposition R. Sampanthan (Trincomalee), and several other ministers, including C.V. Wigneswaran, a one-time Chief Minister of the Northern Province. JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake was also a notable absentee.
Among the other absentees from the government benches were Minister Harin Fernando, Minister Roshan Ranasinghe, and Namal Rajapaksa Jagath. Kumara Sumithraarchci and National List MP, Dhammika Perera
From among the independent group in Parliament (a breakaway group of the SLPP): Dallas Allahapperuma, Lalith Ellawala, Shan Vijayalala de Silva, Nimal Piyatissa, Angajan Ramanadan, Tilak Rajapaksa, A H M Haris Jayaratne Herath, Dayasiri Jayasekara, Asanak Hearath, Channa Jayasumana Uddika Premaratne, Gamini Waleboda Sarathi Dushmantha and Mohommed Musammail Tissa Vitharana were not present for voting.
Athureliye Rathana Thero was also absent.
Eight parliamentarians representing the SJB were also absent; they are
Mano Ganeshan, Rajitha Senaratne, Rohini Kaviratne,
Dilip Wedarachchi, Rishard Bathudeen, Faizal Cassim, Ishak Rahuman, Mayantha Dissanayake,
Dharmalingam Siddharthan, A. Adaikalanandan, S. Noharadalingam, Charles Nirmalanadan, and Govindan Karunakaran from the TNA were also absent.
Sudarshini Fernandopulle (Gampaha), Anura Priyadarshana Yapa (Kurunegala), and Priyankara Jayaratne (Puttlam), representing the independent group, voted with the government.
SJB members Vadivel Suresh, A.H.M. Fowzie, and Nimal Welgama also voted with the government.
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Secretary General Kushani Rohanadheera has written to the Secretary of Finance to inform him that Parliament has approved the resolution on domestic debt optimisation.
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