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JVP to mind its own business
By Harinda Vidanage
The JVP has opted to restrict their participation in this Friday's proposed SLFP's Jana Sena protest campaign to individual representations as the primary objective of the protest being documented as to empowering President Kumaratunga and boosting her image.

The objective of the SLFP to boost the President's image has been spelt out as one of the special clauses in a 13-page document submitted to all the party organisers preparing for the protest campaign starting off from October 24. The Sunday Times learns that the JVP had obtained a copy of the document before making their decision to limit the participation to individual members and not to take part in an organised manner representing the JVP.

According to the special clause spelt out, anybody who joins the protest campaign must only display banners or images of President Kumaratunga and no other slogan or banner can be displayed highlighting a party or an individual. In a related development the JVP Friday sent a letter to the SLFP General Secretary, Maithripala Sirisena in response to a previous letter sent by him inviting them to a discussion to form an alliance with the objective of ousting the government.

The JVP earlier turned down an invitation by the SLFP to join the protest campaign and thereafter the SLFP General Secretary had written back to the JVP inviting them for talks aimed to join a coalition aimed at taking control of the government.

The JVP in its Friday's letter has sought clarification about the SLFP's proposals. JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva has drafted the letter questioning the parameters of the joint plan and asking for more details of what exactly the SLFP wants to discuss with the JVP. The Sunday Times learns that the JVP is following a more cautious approach in dealing with the ad hoc offers made by the SLFP after President Kumaratunga came out public on the context of the discussions between the SLFP and the JVP done secretively for eight months.

The SLFP General Secretary had arranged for an informal meeting with the JVP for today but the JVP has postponed it at the last moment. Meanwhile the JVP which pledged unconditional support to toppling the government and has put conditions to the SLFP in forming a new government has advanced their condition time frame.

Instead of waiting till the new government is formed the JVP is to make fresh demands to support defeating of the UNF budget proposals on 17 December which is the ultimate plan of the SLFP.

According to sources from the JVP a huge element of doubt has fallen on the JVP about SLFP actions and they have become aware of the secret discussions that President Kumaratunga has had with the minority parties who had put forward a general condition of non inclusion of the JVP in a new government, if so pledging their full support.

Thus the JVP has opted to lay out fresh conditions on the matter of defeating the government in the second budget reading. These new conditions are not the main condition set by the JVP to the SLFP on dropping the devolution of power as the main instrument to settle the ethnic conflict in the country to form an alliance between the two parties. According to JVP sources these are additional demands that the party will bring forward.

The JVP is increasingly applying pressure on President Kumaratunga and her party and going ahead with its Desha Hithsehi Jathika Viyaparaya through which the JVP wants to introduce another plan to defeat the government and build a larger national coalition.

The Jana Sena Program is going ahead as planned and various committees and organizers and the finance committee and the transport committee having the bulk of the work in organizing are coordinating the whole project. The initial budget of Jana Sena has exceeded thirty million rupees and according to sources close to the main financial coordinator Nishantha Ranatunga the organizers are aiming for a budget of fifty million rupees.

Meanwhile the SLFP is facing a huge rift within the party as pro JVP alliance and anti alliance groups are fighting it out within the ranks and Anura Bandaranaike who has been accused of giving in to the JVP told the Sunday Times that he felt sorry for the people who thought like that because he genuinely feels that it will do more good to the party and the alliance should be sealed as soon as possible.

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