ID :
29067
Sat, 11/08/2008 - 14:27
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/29067
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Pro-LTTE party protests military ops,govt hikes defence budget By T V Sriram
Colombo, Nov 7 (PTI) A pro-L.T.T.E. political party in
Sri Lanka has protested the ongoing military operations in the
north, even as the government hiked defence spending to a
record USD 1.6 billion to fund the campaign against the
Tigers.
The pro-Tiger Tamil National Alliance (T.N.A.) stayed
away from the budget presentation as a mark of protest against
the military campaign in the north, as President Mahinda
Rajapaksa warned the L.T.T.E. to surrender or face defeat.
The T.N.A., which staged a walk out, has 22
representatives in the 225 member Sri Lankan Parliament.
Besides announcing plans to raise defence spending by
seven percent to a record figure of USD 1.6 billion in 2009,
Rajapaksa, in his capacity as the finance minister, also
proposed to spend Rs 3000 million (Sri Lankan rupees) to
rehabilitate L.T.T.E. members joining the democratic stream.
He also announced a one percent tax on most goods and
services to "rebuild communities and infrastructure facilities
affected by terrorism," while downgrading the economic growth
of the country reeling under a double-digit inflation.
"My earnest plea to the the rebels is to give up arms and
join the democratic process, even at this late stage. If not,
they will be militarily defeated," said Rajapaksa, who also
spoke in Tamil on two occasions, amidst applause.
The hike in defence budget accompanies an estimated
budget deficit of over USD 3 billion or 6.5 percent of the
G.D.P.
Earlier T.N.A. Parliamentary Group Leader R. Sampanthan
in his statement said his party members would boycott the
budget speech to protest the military offensive against the
L.T.T.E.
Rajapaksa also devalued the growth rate for 2008 by 0.5
percent to 6.5 percent for the economy which grew by 6.8
percent in 2007. The inflation had risen to a massive 23.4
percent at the end of last month.
In his budget speech Thursday evening, Rajapaksa
applauded security forces for the headways made by them in the
Tiger strongholds of the north, commending them for "rescuing
a vast area in the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu Districts".
"I am glad to note that at the moment the Budget is being
presented, our hopes are advancing their operations having
rescued a vast area in the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu
Districts," he said.
The government is fighting the L.T.T.E., who have been
trying to carve out a homeland for minority Tamils, in a
conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives on both
sides since 1972. PTI TVS
DEP
NNNN
Sri Lanka has protested the ongoing military operations in the
north, even as the government hiked defence spending to a
record USD 1.6 billion to fund the campaign against the
Tigers.
The pro-Tiger Tamil National Alliance (T.N.A.) stayed
away from the budget presentation as a mark of protest against
the military campaign in the north, as President Mahinda
Rajapaksa warned the L.T.T.E. to surrender or face defeat.
The T.N.A., which staged a walk out, has 22
representatives in the 225 member Sri Lankan Parliament.
Besides announcing plans to raise defence spending by
seven percent to a record figure of USD 1.6 billion in 2009,
Rajapaksa, in his capacity as the finance minister, also
proposed to spend Rs 3000 million (Sri Lankan rupees) to
rehabilitate L.T.T.E. members joining the democratic stream.
He also announced a one percent tax on most goods and
services to "rebuild communities and infrastructure facilities
affected by terrorism," while downgrading the economic growth
of the country reeling under a double-digit inflation.
"My earnest plea to the the rebels is to give up arms and
join the democratic process, even at this late stage. If not,
they will be militarily defeated," said Rajapaksa, who also
spoke in Tamil on two occasions, amidst applause.
The hike in defence budget accompanies an estimated
budget deficit of over USD 3 billion or 6.5 percent of the
G.D.P.
Earlier T.N.A. Parliamentary Group Leader R. Sampanthan
in his statement said his party members would boycott the
budget speech to protest the military offensive against the
L.T.T.E.
Rajapaksa also devalued the growth rate for 2008 by 0.5
percent to 6.5 percent for the economy which grew by 6.8
percent in 2007. The inflation had risen to a massive 23.4
percent at the end of last month.
In his budget speech Thursday evening, Rajapaksa
applauded security forces for the headways made by them in the
Tiger strongholds of the north, commending them for "rescuing
a vast area in the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu Districts".
"I am glad to note that at the moment the Budget is being
presented, our hopes are advancing their operations having
rescued a vast area in the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu
Districts," he said.
The government is fighting the L.T.T.E., who have been
trying to carve out a homeland for minority Tamils, in a
conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives on both
sides since 1972. PTI TVS
DEP
NNNN
