SLFP absenteeism buttresses Budget 2019: SLPP

By Kelum Bandara 

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) said yesterday the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) indirectly supported the government to pass the budget by being absent during the time of the vote and that it had dented its credibility.

Addressing a press conference, SLPP Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris said the UNP was uncertain whether it could pass the budget as some of its backbenchers threatened to vote against it. 
“The United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) decided to vote against the budget, but SLFP MPs in that party were absent during the vote. If not for that, the UNP would have depended heavily on the 16 MPs of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA),” he said.  

When asked if the move by the SLFP would jeopardize bilateral talks, he said the SLPP entered into discussions in good faith because it was vital to form a broad front against the UNP. Therefore, he said, talks would not be derailed. 

On a different note, he said the actions taken by the SLFP eroded the threshold of trust needed for talks to move forward. “The rank and file of the SLPP questions the SLFP’s bona fide,” he said.  

GL says UNP was uncertain as some of its backbenchers threatened to vote against budget