• 153 members voting for it and 60 against  
• 11 members were absent   

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana  

Second reading of the budget was approved in Parliament by a two thirds majority yesterday with 153 members voting for it and 60 against.  

Some 11 members were absent during the voting time.  

 Venerable Athureliye Ratana Thera voted with the government. SJB MPs Diana Gamage, Ishaq Rahman, Nazeer Ahammed, Ali Sabri Rahim, H.M.M. Haris, Muhammed Musharaf and Faizal Cassim who voted for the 20th Amendment voted in favour of the budget.  

MPs M.A. Sumanthiran, S. Rasamanickam A. Aravindkumar, Mano Ganesan, C.V. Vigneswaran, M.S. Thaufiq, Wijedasa Rajapaksa and Tiran Alles, Gamini Lokuge and Vidura Wickramanayake were among the absentees.