Government wins Budget 2008 by majority of 47

The budget vote which generated much tension finally turned out to be an anti-climax with the Government securing a comfortable majority of 47.

The voting commenced today around 5.00p.m by name for and against the budget. There were 114 votes for the Budget and 67 against it. The JVP abstained from voting.

The UNP (Democratic Group), Jathika Hela Urumaya, Upcountry People's Front, Mahajana Eksath Peramuna and the Ceylon Workers' Congress voted for the budget while the UNP (Ranil Group), Tamil National Alliance and the Western Province People's Front voted against it.

Earlier in the day, veteran politician Anura Bandaranaike crossed over to the opposition benches.

Subsequent to the vote, Minister D.M. Jayaratne said that the Government will defeat terrorism and develop the country:

"Today we have emerged victorious on the 2008 budget and we will not hesitate to defeat terrorism and to carry forward our development programme," Mr.Jayarathne told www.news.lk.

Although SLMC’s Rauff Hakeem stirred up controversy with his crossover on Wednesday, with the UNP claiming that others in the Government will break ranks at today's vote, the Government mustered a comfortable 114 votes, sufficient to secure a majority even if the JVP had voted against the budget.

Wijedasa Rajapaksa, who crossed over to the opposition but abstained from voting at the second reading, opted to do the same today as well.

Wimal Weerawansa, Propaganda Secretary of the JVP, addressing parliament said that his party was not ready to be anyone's catspaw and makes decisions in the best interest of the country and the people.

Meanwhile Chief Government Whip, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle told www.news.lk that it was the LTTE and no one else that was behind moves to defeat the budget. "It was obviously an attempt to reverse the victories achieved by the security forces in the Eastern Province,

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LTTE event: Tamil stars face music

A bevy of South Indian film personalities might be heading for controversy after their names were included in a fund-raiser in London that Sri Lankan reports allege is in aid of Tamil Tigers. An article carried by the Sri Lankan Defence Ministry website has alleged that the organiser of the event, White Pigeon, is an LTTE front organization.

In an interview earlier this year to the Washington Post Radio, the Sri Lankan Ambassador in Washington had alleged that White Pigeon was another avatar of a psuedo Tamil charity called Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), which has since been closed.

The article also points out that White Pigeon's founder and present chairman is Dr N Sathiyamoorthy, who was chairman of TRO at the time Charity Commission's regulatory arm ordered its closure. White Pigeon, however, describes itself as a charity focusing on landmine victims in Tamil-dominated north and east Sri Lanka.

The event is scheduled to take place at Alexandra Palace in London in January. The star line-up, going by the advance publicity to the event, includes Sathyaraj, Sibi Sathyaraj, Bhavana, national-award winning singer Chitra, Jeeva, Madhumita and singer Karthick.

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