The annual Financial Statement of the Southern Provincial Council for 2018, was adopted with a majority of 41 votes at the council meeting which was held on Tuesday.
Southern Province Chief Minister Shan Wijayalal De Silva presented the financial statement on Friday (8), which was debated for three consecutive days.
At the vote for the budget, 47 councilors voted for, while four JVP councilors who were present voted against. Two councillors who are noted as Joint Opposition loyalists abstained from voting. All United National Party councilors who were present on the occasion voted in favour of the financial statement.
At the adoption of the 2018 council budget, Councillors Channa Saliya Mendis and Chanaka Madugoda proposed that votes should be taken separately on each head of the statement. However, subsequently, they withdrew their proposal as majority opted to take a common vote on the entire content of the budget. Chairman Somawansa Kodagoda presided over the meeting.