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Politics elbows workers aside at SLFP May Day rally
View(s):By Chathuri Dissanayake
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, addressing the United National Paty (UNP) May Day rally, said despite being a minority government the UNP had been able to bring about a number of short-term relief measures for the country’s workers.
The time has come to launch a long-term relief plan for workers, Mr. Wickremesinghe said, and a UNP majority government should be created through the forthcoming elections to achieve this goal.
Supporters of the UNP arrived in large numbers at Campbell Park, Borella to celebrate May Day. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said it was the biggest ever turnout for his party and a show of power.
He also said that the party did not take “anything from the government” to support the rally. All CTB buses used to transport supporters from different parts of the country carried a notice stating that the buses were on hire, and relevant fees had been paid.
The massive crowd at the UNP May Day rally at Campbell Park and (top) UNP Leader addressing the rally. Pix by Ranjith Perera
By Kasun Warakapitiya
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s (SLFP) May Day rally on Friday turned into a platform for calls of party unity, with only one trade union representative addressing the modest crowd.
President Sirisena greeting the crowd at the UPFA’s May Day rally at Hyde Park. Pic by Indika Handuwala
The rally, held at Hyde Park in Colombo 2, was Maithripala Sirisena’s first as President. While the greater part of his speech was dedicated to worker rights, he also pulled some political punches.
He vowed to use his executive powers only for the purpose of protecting the rights and privileges of the working classes. He would no longer leave space for the country’s human or fundamental rights, freedoms and democracy to be a subject of discussion anywhere else in the world.
In a sea of blue caps and t-shirts, the President wore a prominent red shirt. At times, drones were used to film the event from above. Security was tight. Most working class participants were barred from entering the main enclosure opposite the stage.
Chandrika Kumaratunga, the former president who was instrumental in getting Mr. Sirisena to defect last year, was booed. Each time her name was announced, jeers rose from the back of the crowd. She left a short while after arriving.
The President observed in his 17-minute speech that the party membership had placed its trust in him and appointed him Chairman. Similarly, the people of the country had placed their trust in him and elected him President.
It was essential to create an environment that guaranteed happiness and satisfaction for all citizens. “We must understand social realities,” President Sirisena said. “The issues are not whether they are people of the North, the South, the East, the West, Sinhalese, Muslim, Tamil, Buddhist, Catholic, Malay, Burgher or Hindu. We must give foremost place to humanity.”
The media sometimes spread false news, he said. “I must tell you clearly, no person can control me. Only the people can control me.”
All but one speaker at this May Day rally were politicians. Veteran trade union leader Leslie Devendra of the Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya was permitted to say a few words about working class issues before being hastily summoned off the stage in order to accommodate President Sirisena.
SLFP National Organiser Susil Premajayantha read out a message from former president Mahinda Rajapaksa. Mr. Rajapaksa recalled how workers’ rights and the people’s right to life had been taken away during the 30-year war. In the past, May Day rallies entailed a huge security risk. With the end of the war in 2009, the rights of the whole country had been restored, he said.
The message took a swipe at the United National Party, saying incidents such as the dismissal of 80,000 “July strikers” must not be repeated. Mr. Rajapaksa said his government helped end the sale of public enterprises and to restore their ownership to the working class.
“We stopped the habit of foreign powers deciding on Sri Lanka’s affairs,” his statement continued. “For this reason alone, corrupt local and foreign forces have defeated the victory we achieved for the public. A large number of people lost employment in projects and institutions we protected. As a result, the entire working class is affected.”
For other politicians a predominant theme was a necessity to defeat the UNP at the next election, with some indicating that it was necessary for President Sirisena and Mr. Rajapaksa to combine forces for this purpose.
Rally for the return of MR
The “Wedakarana Janatha Eksath” (United Working People) May Day Rally, organised by 15 political parties and 36 trade unions including the 
Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (People’s United Front- MEP), Jathika Nidahas Peramuna (National Freedom Front) and the Vamaansika Peramuna (Leftist Front), was held on Friday, May 1 at the Lalith Athulathmudali Ground, Kirulapone.
The procession began at Polhengoda junction at 2 pm and reached Kirulapone three hours later.
Conspicuous in the parade were posters of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Notable personalities in the procession were Dinesh Gunawardena, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Wimal Weerawansa and Tissa Vitharana.
At the meeting following the rally, MP Salinda Dissanayake read a goodwill message sent by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The Eksath May Day rally at Kirulapone. Pix by Nissanka Meegoda
Speaking on the occasion, Wimal Weerawansa berated the present Government.
“All those who were against the war are today in the government. Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe are but Indian puppets. We must bring back Mahinda Rajapaksa. It was he who ended the war; increased the number of government servants to 1,500,000 and rid the country of unemployment. The day will come soon when Mahinda Rajapaksa’s flag will be seen around the country.”
Dinesh Gunawardena said:
“Each time the UNP came to power, what they did was to deprive the working class of even the few benefits they possessed. Hundreds of thousands of working people were thrown out of employment by this government. During the ’100 Days’ 225,000 people lost their employment.I am sorry for the SLFP. Their ill-attended May Day rally ended today an hour ago at Hyde Park. What went wrong with them? The answer is obvious; they joined hands with the UNP.
We entreat our SLFP MPs to find the right path at least now.”
Among the MPs present that evening were, Janaka Priyantha Bandara, Sarath Kumara Gunaratne, Gamini Lokuge, Prabha Ganeshan, Salinda Dissanayake, Kumara Welgama, Chandrasiri Gajadeera, Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Shriyani Wijewickrema.
Leaders join in tribute to Premadasa
President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe paid floral tributes at the statue of late president Ranasinghe Premadasa on May 1, the day of his untimely death 22 years ago at the hands of an LTTE suicide bomber.
President Sirisena said the late president was one of those who went looking for problems to be resolved instead of waiting for the problem to be brought to him.
“His enemy was poverty,” Mr. Wickremasinghe said.
The former president’s son, Housing and Samurdhi Minister Sajith Premadasa said the current government served the poor.
“Maithripala Sirisena was elected as the President to serve the poor while the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe made an historical sacrifice for this. There are no party differences in this government,” he said.
JVP calls for new parliament
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanyake called for an early dissolution of Parliament and fresh elections at his party’s May Day rally.
“It is only President Maithripala Sirisena who can dissolve parliament. So we entreat him this May Day …. ‘Dissolve the parliament, and give the people a chance to set up a new parliament’.”
The JVP procession, led by party leader General Secretary Tilvin Silva, Information Secretary Vijitha Herath and others, started off from the S. de S. Jayasinghe ground in Dehiwela and, with supporters from all over the island, vehicles with red flags and portraits of socialist leaders and bands playing music, took four hours to reach its destination, the BRC Ground in Colombo.
The red rally of the JVP. Pix by Nilan Maligaspe