UNP, JVP in dire straits - Minister Sirisena

Dharma Sri Abeyratne

COLOMBO: When considering the prevailing political atmosphere of the country and the behaviour of the party members it is clear that UNP and the JVP are in a helpless stage, General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Minister Maithripala Sirisena said yesterday.

Addressing a UPFA news briefing held yesterday, Minister Sirisena said it was unfortunate that the present UNP leadership criticised the ongoing security operations to eradicate terrorism.

“While on foreign tours the Opposition Leader says that our Forces can never win the war or defeat the LTTE. Unlike the then great UNP leaders such as D.S. Senanayake and Dudley Senanayake the present UNP leadership is pessimistic and tarnishes the image of the country,” the Minister said.

More than 7,000 UNP and JVP party members have deserted their parties and taken the membership of United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) since they were fed up with their earlier parties.

There wasn’t any UNP Parliamentarian, head of the party or even a lawyer who participated on the occasion of submitting nomination lists but only the candidates. “It seemed clearly that even the party members are let down by the leadership and moreover it indicated that they would lose the election,” the Minister added.

The JVP has been subjected to a severe erosion and not only the top leadership but also the grassroots level leadership and members are deserting the party as the party is heavily under fire.

The UPFA hasn’t any doubt about the victory of the forthcoming Sabaragamuwa and North Central Province Provincial Council Election, Transport Minister Dallus Alahapperuma said. The President has called all trade unions for a face to face discussion with him but the JVP boycotted it.

“The JVP wants to postpone the Provincial Council Elections since they fear their numbers will drop after the election,” Lakshman Yapa Abeywardana, the Minister of Media pointed out.

Trade unions of the Ceylon Electricity Board have expressed that they would not support the token strike scheduled on Thursday. The collective decision was taken by all trade unions except two trade unions after the union leadership came to know the true face of this trade union action, Power and Energy Minister John Senavirathne said.