25 UNP backbenchers to defeat President’s expenditure head

UNP MP Hirunika Premachandra said yesterday more than 25 UNP backbenchers were prepared to defeat the President's expenditure head.

She told parliament that President Maithripala Sirisena had allocated half of the funds for him than what was allocated for all the ministries in the budget.

"The President claims that he is a simple man. But he should show it by practice," she said.

Ms Premachandra said Rs. 13,560 million had been allocated for the President from 2019 budget while it was Rs. 10,887 last year.

She said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had cut down on his expenditure head from last year's allocation of Rs. 1911 million to Rs.1620 million this year.

Commenting on the President's pledge to reinstating the execution of those convicted of drug trafficking, she said drug kingpins who engaged in drug smuggling in huge amounts should be executed instead of innocent and poor women who were convicted for possessing small amounts of drugs due to their poverty.

"Drug smugglers who were keeping company with the President should be hanged first," she said. (Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera)