UNP will oppose submission of budget before polls

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 10:35 GMT]
The General Secretary of the Opposition United National Party (UNP) Tissa Attanayake has said Monday that his party would strongly oppose the attempt by the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) party to present the annual budget of this year to the Sri Lanka Parliament on the first week of November, political sources in Colombo said.

Mr.Attanayake further said that the ruling party was trying to use the budget as a propaganda just one week before the Presidential polls. "This action is against the constitution of the country. The ruling party's intention of presenting the budget days prior to the polls violates the Parliamentary privileges," he added.

Mr Attanayake further commented that the Opposition along with other parties will take all necessary measures to defeat the budget if it was presented in the Parliament on the first week of November.

He also added that the UNP's Presidential election manifesto was ready and it will be released shortly.