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Some comfort for SLFP

COLOMBO: The ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) combine levelled scores with the opposition in Parliament with a defection of a United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian to its side.

Mahinda Ratnatilleka called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa and pledged his support to passage of the 2008 budget scheduled to come up for vote on Tuesday.

The Rajapaksa Government was jolted on Wednesday after senior SLFP MP Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa crossed over to the opposition benches.

Strangely both the members insist that they have not left their parent party but would go against the party line on the budget proposals.

The ruling party has a majority of five members in the 225-member House.

Managers of the Rajapaksa regime were clearly nervous on Wednesday after Mr. Wijeyadasa’s revolt.

The UNP MP’s move provides some comfort to the government.

Not taking any chances, the Rajapaksa government is believed to be engaged in parleys with the JVP to ensure that it abstained from voting on the budget.

Separately, V.Anandasangaree, president of Tamil United Liberation Front in a message to coincide with the U.N. Day for “Tolerance and Non-Violence” appealed to all to shun violence and promote tolerance among the people.

“Parliament is not the place to promote discord. I am surprised at one of the members claiming the Tamil people, the LTTE and his organisation as one. Surely the Tamils are a peaceful lot and are committed to non-violence and cannot be claimed as one with a terrorist outfit which is blood thirsty.”

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