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JVP hopes to form Govt. soon
By Chandani Kirinde
JVP leaders said yesterday their party was nearing its final victory and they believed they would soon form a government of their own. General Secretary Tilvin Silva said that the party had gone from winning a single seat in Parliament in 1994 to 39 seats by 2004 and had become a partner in the government and he had no doubt that the people who brought them this far would one day help the party to form a government of its own.

Addressing to a packed Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium at a meeting to commemorate the death of the party's founder leader, Rohana Wijeweera, and others who were killed in the two uprisings, Mr. Silva said the party had risen from the ashes both in 1971 and in 1988/89 and would not take a single step backwards.

JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe expressing similar views said that step by step the JVP would take the country towards final victory. He asks party supporters and the people to be patient till that great day came.

The JVP General Secretary said that the party was prepared to meet all challenges coming from outside and from within and vowed that under no circumstances would it be a partner in the betrayal of the country.

Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and the UNP came in for heavy criticism from Mr. Silva who said that the JVP would join all forces to defeat the alliance between the UNP leader and LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakarn -- an alliance intended to divide the country.

Referring to the controversy over the timing of the next presidential election, Mr. Silva said it did not matter to the JVP whether it was in 2005 or 2006 because the party wanted the executive presidency abolished. However, if this was not possible, he pledged the JVP would make sure that Ranil Wickremesinghe never became the President of the country.

He played down the differences between the SLFP and the JVP claiming the small disputes were being exaggerated by vested interests. He said the JVP members were ready to sacrifice not only ministerial posts and parliamentary seats but even their lives if the need arose.

Mr.Silva told the party members to be ready to make sacrifices, as victories did not come easily but with hard work and dedication.

Wijeweera made mistakes, Says Somawansa
JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe admitted yesterday that its founder Rohana Wijeweera had weaknesses and shortcomings just like all others and said there were questions about the way he acted on the day he was arrested on November 12, 1989.

Speaking at the function held to commemorate the late JVP leader's 15th death anniversary, Mr. Amarasinghe who succeeded Mr. Wijeweera, said they had earlier not spoken of Mr. Wijeweera's weaknesses but they should now acknowledge mistakes as the party needed to learn from such mistakes.

Referring to the last days before Mr. Wijeweera was killed, Mr. Amarasinghe said there had been a security lapse and Mr. Wijeweera should never have gone where he went to on that fateful day.

He said there had been some suspicion and ambiguity when decisions were taken and the party should learn from such failings. Mr. Somawansa added that the party needed to talk about these things because "we are not here for personal glorification and we have decided to talk about these things."

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