9 April 2012 01:29 pm
Party Chairman Senadeera Gunatilake said the forming of their party was the beginning of a new era to unite the socialist movement in the country for a struggle against the capitalist administration and to bring about social reform.
Delivering the keynote address at its inaugural convention held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium he said forming of the FSP was a fulfillment of the current global demand for a New Socialist Movement that would end capitalist regimes in Sri Lanka and worldwide.
“Our party is really the Sri Lankan segment of the global struggle against capitalism,” Mr. Gunatilake said in the presence of international socialist leaders who were special invitees to the party convention.
Mr. Gunatilake said the abduction of FSP leader Premkumar Gunaratnam and comrades Dimuthu Artigala, Lalith Kumar and Kugan Muruganthan were acts resulting from those alarmed by the path the party had taken to revive socialism in the country.
“Abduction of Gunaratnam and Dimuthu Artigala is actually a turning point of a long journey towards establishing social justice,’ he added.
Mr. Gunatilake said the socialist movement had stepped in to change Sri Lankan society amid a crackdown of its leaders by capitalists who were alarmed with the momentum which they enjoyed with the beginning of the downfall of capitalist regimes in the world.
Several socialist leaders including NSSP Leader Wickramabahu Karunaratne, United Socialist Party Leader Siritunga Jayasuriya and LSSP Alternative Front Leader Chankya Silva who were present at the convention pledged their support for the revival of the socialist movement.
Several socialist leaders from Italy, Pakistan and representatives from the Socialist International Movement were also present at the convention and pledged their support to the party
All members of the newly formed party pledged they were prepared to sacrifice everything in the event the country lost democracy and any other challenges where the nation was pushed towards a revolution. (Yohan Perera)