Mihintale PS budget defeated

The 2015 Budget of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) administered Mihintale Pradeshiya Sabha (PS) was defeated by a majority of one vote.

The Pradeshiya Sabha was scheduled to meet at 10.30 a.m. today with U.B. Sirisena (UPFA) in the chair. But the chairman decided to postpone the meeting till 11.30 a.m  with the consent  of opposition leader  Lalith Edirisinghe  as UPFA members Lal Senevirathne (vice chairman),  Anura J. Mendis,, Anil Pushpananda,  Chaminda Sampath Dissanayake And W. Hemarathna  were not present at the time.

When the PS met at 11.30 UPFA member Hemarathna was present. Then the budget was presented by the chairman which was opposed by UNP members Lalith Edirisinghe and Prasanna Madduma Bandara which led to a vote to be taken.

At the vote only the chairman and W.A. Hemarathna (UPFA) voted for the budget while Opposition  leader Edirisinghe and Prasanna Bandara (UNP) and the JVP member Ajith Wickramasinghe voted against, defeating the budget by one vote.

Mihintale PS  comprises nine members and this is the first time that a PS  budget was defeated. (Rohana Chandradasa)