Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said the Sri Lankan government has abandoned its Marxist roots in favour of neo-liberal economic policies, leaving the President politically isolated.
Delivering the opening speech during the Second Reading debate on the 2027 Budget in Parliament on Friday (13), he said that the President is caught between two conflicting political ideologies.
The Opposition Leader said the ruling Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has forgotten its own political history.
He pointed out that the party previously helped draft a national budget alongside the United People's Freedom Alliance, during which it pledged to redistribute wealth from the rich to the poor, sever ties with the World Bank, and expel the International Monetary Fund.
Premadasa described that earlier approach as a Robin Hood-style strategy.
He said that the current government, despite holding executive, legislative, and local government authority, has introduced a fiscal plan that hits ordinary citizens hard while favouring the wealthy, which he likened to a Muhammad Ali-style blow to the stomach.
The Opposition Leader also said that the 2027 Budget proves the government is merely following the economic path laid out by the previous regime.
He argued that the presentation of the bill reveals a lack of sincere objectives, and he challenged ruling party members to measure the real-world impact of the 2026 Budget against their stated vision of building a prosperous nation and ensuring a beautiful life for citizens.
