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by Wayman Hettiarachchi

The opposition led Alliance to Protect the Nation hopes to bring over one million people for its mass demonstration to be held in Colombo on March 10.

The alliance hopes to mass its supporters at Campbell Park, Borella before marching to the CMC grounds to conduct a meeting.

Although they had requested for the CMC premises to conduct the meeting, there is yet no response from the CMC, Convenor of the Alliance MP Anura Bandaranaike told a media briefing at the National Library and Documentation Board Auditorium, Colombo yesterday.

He saw no reason as to why the CMC should deny permission for a PA rally on its premises. "When the PA was in power we allowed them to conduct meetings at the same premises. While the late President J. R. Jayawardene also provided the premises for JVP meetings," Bandaranaike said.

Bandaranaike said when the Alliance asked the Prime Minister about this matter the Premier informed them to submit a letter signed by the Alliance Secretary for this purpose. The Alliance has now submitted a letter to the Prime Minister in this regard. "Therefore, if this premises is not given, we will be forced to take a decision."

Representatives of the SLFP, JVP, MEP, NUA and Sri Lanka Mahajana Party attended this press conference. The LSSP or Sri Lanka Communist Party were not represented at the briefing. When a journalist questioned Bandaranaike on the absence of the LSSP and Communist party representatives, he said the PA General Secretary has had discussions with those parties too. " We hope they will also join us in the demonstration. We also invite all other parties and groups to join hands with us."

When the foreign media continuously asked about the proposed MoU between the PA and the JVP, JVP Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa and the other representatives said it will be disclosed to the public within one or two months.

Asked why the Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse did not participate at the press conference, the representatives said the Opposition Leader had gone to Akuressa to finalise arrangements for the Akuressa Pradeshiya Sabha Election. He will be a key speaker at the March 10 meeting, they said.

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