Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday (03) issued a sweeping call for the government to withdraw Budget 2026 and present a fresh, disaster-focused spending plan, warning that the current proposals fail to reflect the country’s post-Cyclone Ditwah realities.

Making a special statement in Parliament, the SJB leader argued that the more than 1.5 million people affected by the storm needed an immediate and nationwide recovery programme. Such a recovery programme, he said, cannot be delivered under the existing fiscal framework.

Premadasa urged the government to prepare a revised budget, prioritising relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation. “The present extended fund facility agreement, which Sri Lanka has received from the IMF, cannot be implemented now, in the aftermath of the disaster,” he said, calling for the cancellation of the current programme and negotiations for a new agreement, with conditions that “protected vulnerable groups, instead of burdening them.

He said Sri Lanka should initiate dialogue with US President Donald Trump to seek reciprocal tariff arrangements, while simultaneously convening an international donor conference to mobilise urgent humanitarian and recovery assistance for the disaster hit country. If the government is unable to organise such a forum, the Opposition is prepared to “take the lead” in coordinating global support, Premadasa said.

Pledging cooperation across party lines, he said the SJB was ready to “team up with the government” to implement a comprehensive national rebuilding effort.

The Opposition Leader also warned against any misuse of emergency regulations in the wake of the disaster. Regulations, he insisted, must not be used to curb media freedom or restrict democratic rights, but solely to facilitate relief operations.

Citing the scale of devastation, with 465 confirmed deaths, 366 people still missing, and tens of thousands displaced, Premadasa called for a National Day of Mourning and urged recognition of the “exemplary service” rendered by state officials, the tri-forces, police and volunteers.

He pressed for immediate revisions to outdated administrative circulars that have slowed the delivery of aid, and demanded urgent action to stabilise food prices by tackling, what he described as, a “black-market mafia.” A coordinated national development framework, he said, must now prioritise the revival of agriculture, fisheries, tourism and essential services.

The SJB leader also questioned the Government’s failure to declare an emergency to face the disaster despite advance warnings. He called for a full investigation into lapses in the early-warning chain, including delays in communicating forecasts and the absence of a functioning Doppler radar system.

“Politics must be set aside during a national crisis,” Premadasa stressed. “The Opposition stands ready to work with the Government to rebuild the country.”

By Saman Indrajith