Ministers from the SLFP have decided to support the budget, on condition of amendments.

Their agreement came at a meeting chaired by president Maithripala Sirisena at the presidential secretariat yesterday afternoon.

At a media briefing on the previous day, Dullas Alahappeeruma of the joint opposition asked all SLFP MPs to vote against the budget, if they honestly wanted to form a UPFA regime.

President Sirisena is expected to be there when the budget vote takes place.

At the vote on the budget’s second reading on December 02, there were 159 members supporting it and 52 opposed, while 13 abstained.

Due to several objections, president Sirisena and prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe took steps to introduce amendments to the budget.

Accordingly, finance minister Ravi Karunanayake will make new proposals tomorrow on how to bridge the budget deficit.