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| Sunday, 24 October 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Budget set for clear majority Weekend Politics by Suraj & Viraj The UNP's plan to topple the UPFA government through demonstrations against the rising cost of living is to be countered by the government next month with the maiden budget of the UPFA very likely to announce a substantial salary increase to the working class.
Crack in JHU The budget period commencing November looks favourable to the government with more support emanating from the opposition ranks. A number of opposition MPs are reported to be supportive of the measures taken so far by the government. The recent crack in the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) looks favourable to the government with at least four more monk MPs contemplating to extend their support to the government at budget time. It is learnt that another three MPs from the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress(SLMC) dejected over the leadership of Rauff Hakeem have hinted they would join the government shortly to extend their support. These three MPs on Thursday had a meeting with two government seniors in Parliament to decide their future. This meeting took place at lunch time before the Condolence Motion on former Deputy Speaker Gamini Fonseka was taken up after lunch. One of the three SLMC MPs returning after these talks was met by a former UNP Minister in the corridors of the first floor in Parliament. The ex-Minister quipped, "I know where you are coming from....so what happened?' The SLMC member smiled and took off in haste saying some voters were waiting for him in the ground floor. While MPs from minority parties in the Opposition are planning to support the government, the UNP too is in for a severe shock at budget time. Well informed sources disclosed that six UNP MPs are having discussions to extend their support to the government in the near future. The government is quite confident of passing the maiden budget with a very clear majority as Opposition support towards the budget seems to increase day by day. Once the UPFA budget gets under way, the peace process will make headway. The Opposition MPs who would extend their support towards the budget are likely to sit in the National Advisory Committee on Peace set up by the President. The LTTE awaits the counter proposals of the government for study, Tiger sources revealed. Counter proposals There appears to be a likelihood that after the counter proposals are studied, the LTTE would seek clarifications through the Norway facilitators who are due to arrive in Colombo early next month. LTTE's S. P. Tamilchelvan and Anton Balasingham are already in touch with Norway over the developments that took place after the inauguration of the Peace Council by the President. The UNP which, a few weeks ago warned that it would topple the government early next year, non seems to have realised the difficulty in that task. Now it has started to talk about a presidential election next year. UNP spokesman G. L. Peiris entrusted with the task of elaborating on the issue of a presidential poll next year told the media on Thursday that the government was bound to hold a presidential election next year."It cannot be held early nor postponed", he warned. Prof. Peiris Prof. Peiris seems to intepret provisions of the constitution according to the political parties he represents from time to time. When in the People's Alliance he spoke about a Referendum under article 86 of the constitution claiming it needed no approval of the House. But the fact remains that article 86 was bound by the provisions of Article 84 of the constitution that required a two thirds majority to make it legal. UNP"s Constitutional expert, President's Counsel K. N. Choksy who has a wealth of experience on constitutional matters as a practising lawyer has been put in the rear seat when it comes to his subject. G. L. Peiris is only a Professor of Law and not an Attorney-at-Law. Choksy's knowledge with experience before court looks far superior to that of Peiris in that field. When Peiris joined the UNP he spoke contrary to his own position taken on a referendum earlier as a PA minister. |
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| Produced by Lake House |
Government sources said that Finance Minister, Dr. Sarath Amunugama
would present a development oriented budget with more avenues for
investment while granting a substantial pay hike to the working class. A
number of development projects have been earmarked to be kicked off from
January next year as a step to generate more employment opportunities. Dr.
Amunugama believed that a practical programme was the only way to counter
the rising cost of living through the creation of more jobs.
