'Country First' - UPFA theme at May Day rally

Dharma SRI ABEYRATNE

The government's May Day rally will be held on a grand scale at the Town Hall grounds under the theme 'Country First', Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister and SLFP Treasurer Dullas Alahapperuma said.

It has been estimated that over 200,000 supporters from all parts of the island will participate in the May Day rally and parade, commencing from Campbell Park, Borella at 1 pm, the minister told the Daily News yesterday.

"The parade will march to Town Hall grounds via Punchi Borella, Maradana Road, Dean's Road and Eye Hospital junction. The rally starts at 4 pm under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa," he said.

All parties except the Hela Urumaya will participate in the parade and rally. The Hela Urumaya never holds a May Day rally in conformity with a policy decision of the party, the minister said.

Alahapperuma said: "The UNP leadership has betrayed the late party leaders by deciding to hold the UNP May Day rally in Jaffna with the TNA. It is of no significance that the UNP holds the May Day rally in Jaffna, but it is alarming that they are holding it with the TNA, which has never condemned the many brutal assassinations of UNP leaders by the LTTE.

"The present UNP leaders have forgotten that the late President Ranasinghe Premadasa, two party secretaries, several parliamentarians and party members were assassinated by the LTTE." The minister said the TNA stands up for the LTTE at national and international forums and in Parliament.

"The UNP never supported the humanitarian mission of the government which liberated the North and East from the clutches of the LTTE. According to the UNP our Security Forces personnel marched to Pamankada pretending they were marching to Alimankada. UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe should be ashamed to hold the May Day rally in Jaffna," he said.