2ND LEAD

UPFA budget passed by 47-vote majority

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 December 2007, 12:17 GMT]
Third reading of the 2008 budget was passed by 47 majority votes Friday evening in Sri Lankan Parliament. 114 members voted for the budget and 67 voted against. 37 JVP members and SLFP parliamentarian Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa abstained from voting. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) voted against the Budget of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Soon after the voting was over there was a pandemonium in the House as SLFP parliamentarians Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Jagath Pushpakumara placed a wreath in front of the opposition leader's chair, antagonizing the UNP.

SL National Heritahe Minister Anura Bandaranaike, who sat with opposition, left parliament premises one hour before the voting.

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader Rauff Hakeem and three parliamentarians of his party, voted against the budget.

Three TNA MP's from Batticaloa, S. Jeyanandamoorthy, Thangeswari Kathiraman and P. Ariyanethran were not present at the Parliament.

Sri Lanka Army backed paramilitary Pillayan Group in Batticaloa had abducted the brother of Mr. Ariyanethran, nephew-in-law of Mr. Jeyanandamoorthy and the secretary of Ms. Thangeswari, threatening the TNA parliamentarians to refrain from voting against the budget.

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