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| Wednesday, 10 March 2004 |
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Politics | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
| Joint meeting by SLFP and JVP in London to support UPFA By Colvin L. De Silva - Our London Correspondent A joint meeting by the two main constituent parties of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance , Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna was held recently at the Lihiniya Restaurant in Cricklewood North West London, presided over by Rani Bulathwela - President Sri Lanka Freedom Party and practising Solicitor. Associated with her was Dharshana Hettiarachchi and Mahinda Weerakkody from the JVP and Keerthi Sumanasiri, Secretary of the SLFP (UK) Branch. Addressing the very large crowd of members of the two parties, supporters and well wishers of the UPFA, Chairman of the meeting Rani Bulathwela explained that the purpose of the meeting was to educate the Sri Lankan expatriate community living in London, the importance of their rallying round the Alliance in order to defeat the United National Front, led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at the forthcoming General Elections due on April 2. Charismatic Branch President, Bulathwela who has added energy and dynamism to SLFP Branch in the UK has initiated a very successful fund raising campaign to support the Alliance in Sri Lanka and indicated her desire to be in Colombo for the elections. She appealed to the audience that they could help by making donations to the Party funds either of the SLFP or the JVP to augment the meagre finances of the Party hierarchy. She jubilantly announced that the Sihala Urumaya Branch Organiser in London Rangith Dassanayake has crossed over to the Alliance as he was disgusted with the conduct of the Party in Colombo by putting forward a number of Buddhist priests to contest the forthcoming elections under the banner of the Urumaya with a changed name. Dassanayake was invited to occupy a seat on the rostrum. Another defector from the London UNP Branch, a joint Secretary for twelve years, Rohana Eliyathamby was also introduced to the audience. Her appeal to the audience was to pursuade their friends and family living in Sri Lanka to support the Alliance under the leadership of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. She highlighted the dangers the country faced with the so called peace process initiated by the present Government under the Prime Minister pointing out that the LTTE has legitimatised their authority and control of the North and East of the country much more than what the terrorist outfit has gained during the last twenty years of war.Addressing the crowd next was the SLFP Branch Secretary and National List nominee for the Gampaha District Keerthi Sumanasiri who charged that present UNP regime has taken away the democratic rights of the people and fresh elections have been called by the President in order that the country can benefit in everyway under a Parliamentary Government of the Alliance which he said was imminent. He said that it was unfortunate that many Buddhist priests have submitted their nomination papers to contest the elections and hoped that they would withdraw before the election day. He was hopeful that the country would elect a new Parliament with a clear majority so that the present Constitution can be changed. He went on to explain that the two parties have got together to form an Alliance after careful thought and deliberations for a long period of some 14 months and the outcome of which is a five point programme titled " Pancha Maha Piliveth". Sumanasiri said that the economy will be given the pride of place and local industries and entrepreneurs will get due recognition and support from the new government. It will lay the basis for increased production both in the public and private sector institutions. On ethnic harmony, he said that an Alliance Government will launch multi faced programmes to make the country for the Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and others. There would no discrimination on grounds of race, religion, language or culture and remove all manifestation of differential treatment of people. The Parliamentary Government that we form after April 2 he said will strengthen Democracy by formulating a new Constitution whereby the Sovereignty of Parliament will be given high priority. Our Cultural policy modernised that will give all citizens equal opportunity. National Identity will be preserved and indigenous culture promoted with added vigour. The two parties have agreed that it will safeguard the sovereignty and independence while maintaining good relationships with all state and international organisations. It was his view that the 2 party alliance will form a model government which will eradicate all forms of corruption and bring peace and prosperity to the country. Douglas Wickramaratna the President of the Sinhala Association in the UK who was a guest speaker said that he does not belong to any political party and he felt the country should vote for the UPFA at the forthcoming elections on April 2 because far too much has been given on a plate to the Tamil Tiger guerilla outfit by the UNF Government under the guise of a peace strategy and the trend must be reversed. He said that he wished Sri Lanka to be One Nation and not divided. He too appealed to the assembly to support the Alliance and usher in real peace and prosperity. Dharshana Hettiarachchi addressing the meeting on behalf of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna made a fiery speech explaining in detail the purpose of forming the Alliance between the two parties the SLFP and the JVP and the advantages that would accrue to the country as a result of this new formation. He said that the UNP would be definitely be defeated at the forthcoming elections because they had not done anything while they were in office for over two years. He stressed on the transparency of the Alliance and condemned the Prime Minister for having signed the MoU with the LTTE behind the back of the Cabinet, Parliament and the country. According to him the Alliance will always consult each other and the people before implementing major decisions once in Government after April 2. He was critical of the Constitution promulgated by the President J. R. Jayawardene and said it was done to keep one party in Government for ever. He raised issues of illegal shipments of arms being brought ashore during the period there was no war under the present Government's MoU with the Tigers. The JVP according to Hettiarachchi organised several marches to protest about the undemocratic actions by the Government and gave leadership to the people to express their wishes. They went to villages and explained their views and consulted the people at all times in the formulation of their party policies. We are committed to work with the SLFP under the Memorandum of Understanding signed between themselves and there is the "Pancha Maha Piliveth" that would be observed in our working arrangements. He too stressed the importance of the expatriate community to be in contact with their families by e mail, fax, text messages or by letter and prevail upon them to support the UFPA to save the country from being divided under an UNF Government. There was Suryamoorthy Ganesh a former Member of Parliament who spoke at the meeting. He wanted all the members of the audience to support the Alliance and thus help in the task of rebuilding Sri Lanka under the leadership of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. |
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