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| Thursday, 27 November 2003 |
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| Sihala Urumaya criticizes Govt. over budgetary allocation for defence by Chamikara Weerasinghe Sihala Urumaya National Organiser Champaka Ranawaka Tuesday criticized the government over its budgetary allocations for defence. Ranawaka said it was surprising that the government had allocated Rs. 2 billion as defence capital expenditure at a time the LTTE was contemplating on taking over the entire Jaffna peninsula. He was speaking at a press conference held at Sihala Urumaya Headquarters. According to him, the LTTE has been able to optimise its military power several fold since the enforcement of government-LTTE ceasefire agreement LTTE leader Prabhakaran has equipped himself with air missiles and soft military aircraft over the last two years," he said. "Besides, Rs. 2 billion is a 3.5 per cent of the Gross National Income." he said this was a very small amount for any country in any budget. "Moreover, the government last year stopped a number of military constructions and trimmed 30 per cent off the capital expenditure allocated for Sri Lanka Army," he said adding that practice of paring defence budgetary allocations in this manner has been going on from 1999, thus leaving the army without any significant military improvement. "Also, this has made the army more or less dependent on the budgetary allocations on its recurrent expenditure as against its military strength," he pointed out. Speaking on the process in place between the President and the government to form a national government, Ranawake said although there had been enough talks in this regard between them, they have not discussed about LTTE military tactics. |
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