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Lankan president presents Budget

Breaking a 22-year-old tradition since Sri Lanka adopted executive presidency, President Chandrika Kumaratunga Monday personally presented the budget, which parliamentarians described as historic.

Kumaratunga, who escaped an assassination attempt on her life during the December presidential campaign told parliamentarians that she was privileged to present the budget as an ordinary member of the House.

"I'm privileged to be alive today to present the budget," she said, in an obvious reference to the attack by the suicide bomber of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on December 18.

This is the first time in the history of Sri Lanka's parliament that a president has presented a budget.

Sri Lanka adopted the executive presidency pattern, amending the constitution in 1978.

Kumaratunga, who was re-elected president for a second term on December 2, presented her governemnt's sixth budget.

UNI

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