Sri Lanka facing the worst economic crisis - JVP

Sri Lanka's Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) says the country is currently facing the worst economic crisis in history. JVP parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake said

Sri Lanka Marxist party says proposed all party meeting would be a futile exercise

Sri Lanka's Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) today dismissed the proposal made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to convene an all party conference to discuss a solution to the ethnic issue saying it is a futile exercise. JVP Propaganda Secretary and parliamentarian Vijitha Herath told

Sri Lankan government failed to bring prosperity to the country, says Marxist JVP

Sri Lanka's Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) says the government has failed to bring prosperity to the country and the development programmes launched were also a failure.

Government has not really withdrawn emergency regulations - Sri Lanka Marxist party

Sri Lanka's Marxist party, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) today said the government has misled people by saying it has withdrawn the emergency regulations.

Marxist party of Sri Lanka to protest against the taxes imposed by government

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the Marxist party of Sri Lanka, has decided to hold a series of protests against what it terms as a large number of taxes that have burdened the people.

Sri Lanka's Marxist party says tax cuts a ploy to increase government's tax revenue

 Sri Lanka's Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna has said that the recent tax reductions introduced by the government was a ploy to increase its tax revenue.

No majority mandate for the Govt.-Anura

Sri Lanka's Marxist JVP says that the governing party, despite getting a majority at the general election, has been rejected by a majority of the people in the country. The lesser number of qualified voters cast their vote in the last general election. That was a clear indication that people have no faith in the whole election process.

JVP eyes Tamil support in Jaffna

The JVP yesterday set up its main political office at Uddupiddy, VVT, in the Jaffna district.
A senior party spokesman told The Island that JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe and National List MP Ramalingham Chandrasekeran had been present at the launch. According to him, they had also set up the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) office with the participation of candidates contesting the April 8 General Election on the DNA ticket.

Police arrest two JVP supporters while pasting the General’s posters

Two JVP supporters engaged in propaganda work for the Presidential election were attacked in Moneragala at around 4 a.m. on Sunday (29). Moneragala Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman, Ratnawera and about 10 persons have been involved in the attack.

After the attack, the thugs have handed over on JVP supporter to the Moneragala Police.

The police had then arrested the other JVP supporter who was attacked by the thugs when he had gone to lodge a complaint. The police had not recorded the complaint.

The police said the JVP supporters were arrested and would be presented to court on charges that they attempted to create public disharmony.

However, the police have failed to take any action against the Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman and his supporters who attacked the JVPers.
The posters that were being pasted state, “The SF operation to protect the country even with their lives is ready.”

Since there is no public disharmony being created through it, the arrest of the two JVP supporters is a clear case of a politically motivated action.

JVP ready to discuss with General Fonseka – Vijitha Herath

JVP Propaganda Secretary Vijitha Herath says the party was ready to discuss with General Sarath Fonseka if he is prepared to come forward as the common candidate.

Herath told the media at a press briefing on Friday (20) that the JVP party would base such a discussion on abolishing the Executive Presidency and restoring democracy and not issues like developing the economy or the country.

Addressing the media meeting Herath said, “The government is unable to decide whether it is the presidential or the general election that would

be held first, like in the song “See-saw up and down.” The government does not have the political confidence to make this decision. The government has been reduced to a position where it would lose out at either of the elections. The Ministers think the President knows what election would be held first. However, the President is unsure about the election that should be held first. This is the dilemma faced by the government.

“Meanwhile, mud slinging campaigns are launched against those who the government beleive would come forward as candidates. Those terrorists who annihilated Bhikkus at Aranthalawa, bombed the sacred Temple of the Tooth have been made vice presidents of the SLFP and have been elevated as ‘patriots.’ However, patriots such as General Sarath Fonseka, who liberated the country from Tiger terrorism, are being branded as ‘traitors.’

“Meanwhile, henchmen of the government are busy circulating stories about conspiracies. It is they who are hanging on to the satakaya who would be the first to fall if the election is lost. The dogs who are feeding on the crumbs thrown at them have started to bark. When hunting the hounds keep barking and the hunters follow them. Once the hunting is over the hunter takes the meat and the bones are thrown to the hounds. The present government is no better.

“The war that went on for 30 years is now over. The military front of separatism has been defeated. However, the political objective has not been determined yet.

Separatism could be completely defeated only if it could be stopped from re-emerging. Democracy and freedom should be established for this purpose. The Executive Presidency should be abolished and an independent police, public service and elections commission should be established. Establishing democracy is the most essential objective. There are a large number of people who have been displaced and there are many who have left the country.

Resettling them in their places of choice should be a priority. The government entered into an agreement with India to resettle the displaced persons within 180 days. Now the 180 days are almost over and instead of resettling the displaced the government is talking about holding elections.”

Gotabhaya and Basil Rajapaksa should give up US citizenship like the General gave up his Green Card – Bimal Ratnayake

JVP parliamentarian Bimal Ratnayake told parliament yesterday (4) that Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa should give up their US citizenship in the same way that Chief of Defence Staff General Sarath Fonseka gave up his Green Card.

Bimal Ratnayake made this statement during the adjournment debate in parliament about General Sarath Fonseka.

He said the JVP respected the decision of General Sarath Fonseka, who is one of the greatest Army Commanders to have served the country, to return to the country after giving up his chances of receiving permanent citizenship in


the US. Ratnayake said although the US could interrogate its citizens they could not interrogate Sri Lankan politicians, military personnel and civilians or summon them before an international war tribunal.

Serious action will be taken if the US oversteps its limits with the General – JVP Leader

JVP Leader Somawansa Amerasinghe says serious action would have to be taken if the US oversteps its limit in relation to questioning General Sarath Fonseka in granting US citizenship.

“It is alright to subject Sarath Fonseka to the normal routine questions that are posed when looking at the possibility of granting US citizenship. But serious action will have to be taken if this limit is overstepped. We publicly stated at out meeting held on June 4 after the defeat of terrorism in the country that we would intervene if any military or political head or civilian is accused of war crimes and legal action was going to be instituted against them. If such a situation was going to arise, the JVP will take

steps against it at every possible situation. It has to be defeated locally as well as internationally. We call on the government to seriously look at this situation and to intervene in order to safeguard the rights of the country’s citizens. The government should not act lethargically in this matter like in other instances,” the JVP Leader said.

The JVP Leader made this statement at a hurriedly called press conference to express the JVP’s stance of the decision of the US to question General Sarath Fonseka yesterday (2). Party Secretary Tilvin Silva and Central Committee member and parliamentarian Bimal Ratnayake also participated in the press conference.

Somawansa Amerasinghe also said, “We have received information that General Sarath Fonseka is to be questioned over an application made by him requesting for the green card for citizenship. The Homeland Security Office in the US is going to carry out the interrogation. Every individual who applies for citizenship is subjected to these routine questions. There is no issue about following such rules for the security of the US. We have no problem with the usual questions posed to people requesting for citizenship. But we have to look at it if questions are posed on the basis that he gave leadership in the military offensive against terrorism. The US has not right to pose any questions on that. We call on the US not to carry out such an interrogation.

“There have been thousands who have requested for citizenship in the US before. We do not who have been granted citizenship. But we feel that it is not suitable to make such a noise and discussion about the request made by General Fonseka. A citizen from our country need not be subjected to an interrogation in another country. It poses a problem to our country’s sovereignty.”

JVP General Secretary Tivlin Silva who also addressed the conference said, “The problem here is that the individual who is going to be subjected to an interrogation is a special person. The military leadership given by him played a key role in ending the war that has lasted in the country for 30 years. Therefore, the international communities like the US and EU are displeased because they lost the chance of interfering in our country’s affairs. This issue arises in such a backdrop. That is why we emphasize the need to intervene to defeat any effort taken by the US to overstep its limits. He is still a government officer. He is the Chief of Defence Staff. The government has to officially intervene in this matter. Our problem is that this government has failed in its official diplomatic duties. They have messed up every time there has been a need for official diplomatic intervention. We emphasize that the government needs to intervene without creating a mess of the situation.”

Mixed reactions towards the General

UNP National Organizer S.B. Dissanayake had told several weekly newspaper editors on Friday (23) morning that he opposed any move to put forward General Sarath Fonseka as the common candidate at the next Presidential election with the support of the UNP. SB had said the UNP in such an eventuality would lose the support of minority parties and communities. UNP sources say that the recent statement made by DPF Leader Mano Ganesshan that he would withdraw from the opposition alliance in the event General Fonseka was put forward as the common candidate of the opposition at the next Presidential election was backed by SB.

Meanwhile, Minister Hemakumara Nanayakkara addressing a paddy tilling festival in the Galle District had said the war against the LTTE was won by none other than the President himself. He had said the full credit of the military victory was with the President and that the General was merely a puppet. He had observed that the UNP leader was trying to instigate military heads in order to pave the way for an Army rule in the country. However, JVP politburo member and parliamentarian K.D. Lalkantha addressing a gathering said if there was going to be a military coup in the country, it would have taken place soon after the assassination of Prabhakaran. He said that if General Fonseka had any need to capture power, he could have ordered three Army units that were fighting in the North to surround the Presidential Secretariat, the President’s House and Temple Trees for the purpose. Lalkantha queried as to how contesting an election to be democratically elected be considered as a military coup.

JVP decides to support General Fonseka as common candidate at Presidential election

JVP politburo member and parliamentarian K.D. Lalkantha said the JVP has decided to support the candidature of General Sarath Fonseka if he contests the next Presidential election as the common candidate.

Lalkantha made this statement at a press conference organized by the National Trade Union Center (NTUC) at the Library Services auditorium to inform the media of the future course of action to be adopted by the Center.

He said the Presidential election would be like a cricket match to General Fonseka who has won in the battle field and that the former Army Chief

had more support of the people than the government’s candidate at the election.

Lalkantha said the government had no other official duty than contest elections. He further observed the present administration has spent an additional Rs. 1540 million on elections alone while spending only Rs. 700 million to build houses for the war heroes.