JVP has control in country’s political sphere: Anura

14 November 2015 04:19 am

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) yesterday said it was in control in the country’s political sphere and the resignation of Minister Tilak Marapana and the President Maithripala Sirisena's decision to handover the responsibility of defending the seas outside Sri Lanka were ample proof of it.

These sentiments came from Party leader and Chief Opposition Whip Anura Kumara Dissanayake and General Secretary Tilvin Silva at the ‘Il Maha Samuruwa’ - a ceremony held to commemorate the party’s slain leader Rohana Wijeweera and others who were killed 26 years ago.

He said the party would engage in lobbying in the strongest way in the near future against some government moves as it had become a dire need of the hour. He said the situation would be the same with regard to the midterm economic programme of the government.

“The midterm economic programme of the government cannot be allowed to go ahead as it is out to sell off state entities to the private sector and suppress the working class by merging the EPF and ETF and its administration into a private body while bringing in unfriendly reforms to the present pension scheme. “ We will lobby strongly against these moves using our present political strength,” he said.

Mr. Silva said the decision by President Sirisena to handover the responsibility of safeguarding the seas of Sri Lanka came as a result of JVP’s say in the political arena today.

Referring to the drama regarding Front Line Socialist Party Leader Kumar Gunaratnam, his abduction and his return to the country during the previous regime was part of a political gimmick. Mr. Silva denied the allegation made by former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa that the JVP leader had requested the then government to abduct Mr. Gunaratnam.

“The JVP had no reason to get Mr. Gunaratnam abducted as neither he nor his party was ever a threat to us,” he said. Also he played down the alliance between JVP former Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe and former Minister Wimal Weeraansa stating that it was just a game of survival in the backdrop of political bankruptcy. (Yohan Perera )