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JVP show of force in SLFP stronghold
By Harinda Vidanage
The JVP is to hold a Kandy-Colombo protest march with a major rally at the SLFP stronghold Nittambuwa next Saturday. Spearheading a broad alliance known as the Desha Hitaishi Jathika Viyaparaya (National Patriotic Movement) after the collapse of the proposed alliance with the SLFP, the JVP is aiming at winning support from the MEP, Sinhala Buddhist MPs and Organisations. The decision to form a broad alliance comes in the wake of a warning by President Chandrika Kumaratunga to her party members not to promote a JVP-SLFP alliance during their political campaigns.

President Kumaratunga had explained that she could not proceed with the talks with the JVP as they were not satisfied with the position offered to them and she could not give away the chairmanship and she could not let any other party take over or dilute her party which was founded by her father.

The Sunday Times learns that the JVP's Nittambuwa rally appears to be part of a move to hit back at President Kumaratunga for her outburst against the JVP. The National Patriotic Movement has been explained as the JVP response to the President's reaction and the JVP has become the main convener of this new movement supported by the MEP which is a constituent party of the PA and some elements of the SLFP.

Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera, who backs the movement, said participants in the procession would be carrying national flags and not flags of any particular party.
Meanwhile, President Kumaratunga is also proposing to form a broader opposition alliance led by the SLFP without the JVP but with the support from minority parties and UNP dissident groups to topple the government.

The SLFP is also facing dissent within as seen in the recent central committee meeting where different factions traded charges for and against the abortive alliance with the JVP. Anura Bandaranaike, Dilan Perera and Mangala Samaraweera spoke for the alliance while former minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and chief minister Reginold Cooray vehemently opposed it.

The President had finally decided to appoint a new committee to start negotiations with other opposition parties on forming an alliance. Meanwhile the SLFP leadership is trying to prevent the MEP from participating in the proposed march from Kandy.

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