Budget of "Chinthanaya" is as hollow as its aims are shallow says UNP

(November, 12, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Lakshman Seneviratne, the UNP Parliamentarian at today’s (12 Nov) Media meeting at the UNP Media Unit, said this year’s budget of Mahinda Rajapakse, unlike the budgets of other Govts. Is a subtle attempt at saving Rajapkse Govt. by mere figures and doing lip service only to the masses, without any relief in real terms to the people, just like how it is exploiting and extending the war.

Even on the day of the budget on 07th Nov., the President tried to exploit the war to fill up the void in his budget. For personal glorification and politicization an untimely attack at Muhumale resulted in 40 of our soldiers losing their lives, and 130 injured: 107 of them are still critical, he added.

Citing an incident during the time of Indira Ghandhi, the late Prime Minister of India, Seneviratne recalled, how those Leaders acted showing concern for the lives of their Forces and the country: when Indhira Gandhi wished to launch an attack in the month of August, and when her Gen. Manickso said it is not advisable to do so in August as their troops would die, she immediately followed Manickso’s advice to attack in December, he asserted. But, here is a President who will sacrifice not only the Forces, but even the Nation if he can achieve a cheap political mileage, he exhorted.

Unfortunately, for Rajapakse this move boomeranged, even as he was announcing the Budget, news came that the attack was as much a failure as his budget proposals.

Referring to the Budget 2008, he said, the much publicized ‘People’s friendly ’budget had nothing friendly for the people. Of course it was ‘President Friendly’ because all the proposals overtly and covertly sought to pedestal and promote himself and his family rule. If there was anything for the people, it was taxation from the beginning to the end. Apart from increasing taxes on clothes raising the price of every item by Rs. 60.00 (exclusive of other levies), for the first time in Sri Lanka he has introduced a tax of Rs.50.00 on every kilo of raw textile materials. He challenged the audience to show one thing which is not taxed by this Rajapkse Bros. Govt.

When the whole country is in agony. When such manifest corruption is raging in Ministries and Govt. sector. When the Rajapakse is doing nothing to stop the wastages of People’s money. When it is obvious it is the Govt.’s mismanagement of public funds which are the cause of the people’s dire economic plight, the JVP and JHU standing idle and watching the backsliding , merely because their self serving opportunism are fed by this Govt . Is as guilty as or more guilty than the Govt., because aiding and abetting is worse than committing a crime, he concluded.