TNA fueling hardliners with demand for federalism - JVP

2 August 2015 02:28 pm

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) today hit hard at the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which had demanded for federalism and said this demand was revived at every election thus fueling Sinhala hardliners and resulting in unwanted ethnic tension.

“TNA talks of federalism because they don’t have anything to offer the people in the North and East for whom it had done little or nothing through the Northern Provincial Council,” JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva told a news briefing.

Mr. Silva said the need of the hour was to ensure equality and social justice to all people whatever their caste, creed or community might be.

He accused the United National Party (UNP) and the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) for trying to hoodwink the public servants.

He said the UPFA campaign led by its Kurunegala district candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa has promised a bonanza to public servants which he failed to provide during his two terms as president.

Mr. Silva said the UNFGG led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is also giving promises after undermining the public service by offering voluntary retirement schemes for them in 2002.

He said its doubtful whether the UNFGG will do the same this time as well with the recent statement made by the premier that public servants would be given five years of unpaid leave to start up their own ventures or to find employment abroad.

Mr. Silva assured public sector employees that the JVP would fight for their rights if the JVP was able to garner a sufficient number of seats. (Yohan Perera)