APD | Sri Lanka’s Parliament approves budget for 2019

By APD writer Easwaran

COLOMBO, Apr.5 (APD) -- Sri Lanka’s Parliament, on Friday, passed the 2019 budget with amendments with 119 legislators voting for and 74 against it.

The minority Tamil National Alliance and the Ceylon Worker's Congress voted for the budget with the governing United National Party.

The Joint Opposition led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Marxist JVP voted against it.

Members of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party led by President Maithripala Sirisena were absent during the vote.

The budget was presented to Parliament last month and after one month of debate it was passed late on Friday evening.

The Joint Opposition had attempted to seek support to defeat the budget but those attempts failed.

Leader of the House and UNP Minister Lakshman Kiriella said that the vote showed the confidence Parliament has on the Government. 

The budget, which is usually presented in November, was delayed as a result of a political coup last October following a deep first between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The coup eventually ended with Wickremesinghe forming his own Government while Sirisena remained as President.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)