SRI LANKA NEWS IN BRIEF (APRIL 2019) – Compiled by Victor Melder The Budget 2019 was passed in Parliament yesterday with a majority of 45 votes. It received 119 votes in favour and 74 against. The TNA, the SLMC and the CWC voted with the government while the Joint Opposition, JVP and some SLFP members voted against it. Many SLFP members were absent. At the end of the debate, a division was called by MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena. Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera winding up the second reading of the Budget 2019 themed ‘Empowering the People and Nurturing the Poor’ said that the Opposition’s criticisms of the budget were unfair and baseless.  He said that it was the country’s 73rd budget and the UNF government’s first budget. It was the fifth budget of the present government. “This is the first budget we presented as a government led by the UNF,” he said. ...

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