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Two-thirds majority for Budget
View(s):By Chandani Kirinde
The second Budget of the National Unity Government was passed last evening with a two-thirds majority — 165 members voting for and 55 against the motion.
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and MPs Douglas Devananda and Arumugam Thondaman voted for the Budget, while the JVP and the Joint Opposition (JO) voted against it.
JVP Leader and Chief Opposition Whip Anura Kumara Dissanyake called for the division by name, following which the vote was taken.
Four MPs including former President now Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa and MPs Siripala Gamlath, Premalal Jayasekera and Thenuka Widanagama were absent at the time the vote was taken.
The vote brought to an end the month-long debate on the Appropriation Bill 2017, which began on November 10. Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake wound up the debate on behalf of the Government following heated arguments with both members of the JO and the JVP. He said that both parties had made many baseless allegations against him and the government, but he would not be deterred by them. “This is a National Budget. This is neither a UNP nor SLFP Budget. It is for all the people,” he said.
The Minister hinted that he was considering the demonetisation of the Rs 5,000 currency note, keeping in line with what was done by the Indian Premier.
“There are hoarders of Rs 5,000 denomination currency notes which are hidden in the possession of some Opposition politicians. We know these notes are used to pay people who they bring to protests. Every protestor is paid a Rs 5,000 note. We would soon do what (Indian Prime Minister) Modi did in India to place the currency hoarders in trouble. Then people will know who has hidden large amounts of Rs 5,000 notes,” he said.