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JVP furious over Rajapakse appointment
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the second largest constituent partner of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) coalition, has threatened President Chandrika Kumaratunga that "serious decisions " (barapathala theerana) will have to be taken for appointing Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse without its concurrence. In a letter signed by its General Secretary Tilvin Silva, the JVP slammed President Kumaratunga for selecting Mahinda Rajapakse as Prime Minister over its nominee Lakshman Kadirgamar, who yesterday took charge of the Foreign Affairs portfolio. "If you were looking to appoint a Sinhala-Buddhist for the post of Prime Minister, then at least Anura Bandaranaike or Maithripala Sirisena would have been our choice," the JVP said in its strongly-worded letter to the President. President Kumaratunga nevertheless went ahead and picked Mr. Rajapakse for the job after informing Mr. Kadirgamar that she would appoint him for the post, and also after consulting the two JVP leaders, Tilvin Silva and Wimal Weerawansa on Sunday who their preferred choice was. The JVP defended Mr. Kadirgamar saying that the Sinhala-Buddhists held him in high esteem and that he had a standing in international circles. "If we are to implement the constitutional amendments we want, the Alliance requires a prime minister in whom we all have confidence," the JVP said. The letter was followed up by a JVP boycott of the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Rajapakse on Tuesday at President's House. JVP's Kalutara district MP Nandana Gunatillake was the sole representative of the party at the swearing-in ceremony. Significantly, the JVP letter was dated April 5 - the date marking the 33rd anniversary of its first armed insurrection against the coalition government of Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 1971. The JVP yesterday commemorated this date with an " Ill Maha Wiruwa " (Great Uprising of April) at the Sugathadasa Stadium (Please see separate story). The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the second largest constituent partner of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) coalition, has threatened President Chandrika Kumaratunga that "serious decisions " () will have to be taken for appointing Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse without its concurrence. In a letter signed by its General Secretary Tilvin Silva, the JVP slammed President Kumaratunga for selecting Mahinda Rajapakse as Prime Minister over its nominee Lakshman Kadirgamar, who yesterday took charge of the Foreign Affairs portfolio. "If you were looking to appoint a Sinhala-Buddhist for the post of Prime Minister, then at least Anura Bandaranaike or Maithripala Sirisena would have been our choice," the JVP said in its strongly-worded letter to the President. President Kumaratunga nevertheless went ahead and picked Mr. Rajapakse for the job after informing Mr. Kadirgamar that she would appoint him for the post, and also after consulting the two JVP leaders, Tilvin Silva and Wimal Weerawansa on Sunday who their preferred choice was. The JVP defended Mr. Kadirgamar saying that the Sinhala-Buddhists held him in high esteem and that he had a standing in international circles. "If we are to implement the constitutional amendments we want, the Alliance requires a prime minister in whom we all have confidence," the JVP said. The letter was followed up by a JVP boycott of the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Rajapakse on Tuesday at President's House. JVP's Kalutara district MP Nandana Gunatillake was the sole representative of the party at the swearing-in ceremony. Significantly, the JVP letter was dated April 5 - the date marking the 33rd anniversary of its first armed insurrection against the coalition government of Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 1971. The JVP yesterday commemorated this date with an " Ill Maha Wiruwa " (Great Uprising of April) at the Sugathadasa Stadium |
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