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SANDUN UYANA
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EVENTS DIARY
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LONDON DIARY
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FEATURES
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LETTERS.
The Budget, Indicative Of The Direction In Which The Nation Is Headed
Nov.19th,2007
Felicitations to the Rajapaksha Government which yesterday won the budget vote convincingly by a comfortable 16 member majority confounding all the media hype, huffing and puffing and idle threats which was a consternation led by the cohorts of the Ranil Wickremasinghe, Mangala Samaraweera, Sripathy Suriyarachi bandwagon as the main Opposition to the Budget fizzled and failed and the alliance which had vowed to defeat it had to settle for humble pie and concede a victory to the Rajapaksha Administration by 16 votes.
This is a clear indication that the real leaders with political direction
within the Nation of Sri Lanka are not as gullible as some protagonists
who constanlty indulge in Nation hoodwinking theatrics would like to believe
although the margin of victory for the Budget vote could easily have been
much larger had it not been for the popular trend of tuncoating in the
Sri Lankan political establishment which seems to be very much in vogue
lately but ends up being much ado over nothing as the realities of what
the more discerning within the Nation believe in is locked in place to
an unshakable conviction and a foregone conclusion if the outcome of the
Budget vote is any indication.
While The JVP's proclaimed intentions of opposing the Budget had no real
effect on the final outcome beyond being another enacted scenario portraying
their disgruntlements with the Government, this Budget being successfully
passed must surely be a bitter pill to swallow for the UNP which had almost
unrealistically deluded itself that it was possible to defeat the budget
and topple the Government through the whims and fancies of the prevaricating
Ranil Wickremasinghe who does not seem to have any clear cut policy about
his concept of governance beyond bickering over every decision made by
the Rajapaksha Administration and and fast becomin a source of entertainment
for many who see him as a prime joker surrounded by a bevy of muppets
if a page from a prominent cricketing orator of recent fame could be stolen
and indeed the UNP has been laughed off any aspertions towards toppling
this Government on the issue of the Budget!
Contrary to claims by the UNP of springing surprises at the Budget reading
and how the Government would be 'toppled' consequently according to their
anticipation it was a bitter dissapointment for the Ranil Wickremasinghe
camp unable to dangle any carrots at Government MPs with incentives to
vote against the budget as there was no response to the effort best dispelled
as a failed one as they all voted with the President. The Parliament galleries
were packed to capacity with visitors gathered to see the real outcome
of the budget vote which was taken aroung 5 p.m. local time yesterday
by Speaker the Hon.W.J.M. Lokubandara. They had all their curiosities
appeased by the comfortable Government win on the vote taken by name on
a request by UNP MP Joseph Michael Perera as a formality and normal parliamentary
procedure.
This was fourth budget of the UPFA Government and the second under President
Mahinda Rajapaksa, who initiallypresented the Budget on November 7 th
2007 and is said to have described the Opposition's loss as an expected
one which for the record is the 15th straight defeat suffered by Opposition
Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and speaks much for the credibilities he seems
to have lost in his capacity as opposition leader and perhaps poetic justice
for his futile attempts to unseat the President of Sri lanka for all the
wrong reasons..
A collective panel of Government ministers have asserted, following the
outcome of the Budget Vote that it was was a victory for the people as
the Budget has provided a wide range of benefits to the people.
It was also described as being a fillip to the economy which has achieved
unprecedented growth during the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration and that
it was a resounding endorsement for a patriotic and development-oriented
approach towards Nation rebuilding that would usher in a new era for the
country where notably also, the defence allocation has been increased
to ensure the security of the people underlying the present stand by the
Government combined with the relentless Military drive in the North and
East and that eradicating LTTE terrorism has also been placed as a prioritised
item with a greater urgency.
Contrary to the predictions of the harbingers of doom the Budget has
prevailed and is indicative of the direction in which the Present Administration
is headed and one which more than likely augurs well towards the posterity
of the Nation under a resolute leadership !
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