Political parties and Trade Unions have planned processions and meetings to celebrate International Worker’s Day or May Day, which falls on Tuesday.
The ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) will celebrate May Day under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, on the theme ‘Rata Ekata’, with several of its constituent partners also joining in.
UPFA’s May Day procession will begin at 11 am from Campbell Park, Borella, and will conclude with a rally at the Colombo Town Hall.
The main Opposition United National Party (UNP) will hold its May Day rally, as part of a common opposition front in Jaffna, along with the Tamil National alliance (TNA) and several smaller parties, at the Gurunagar sports grounds.
Democratic Workers Congress (DWC) Leader Mano Ganeshan will be among those who will participate at this rally.
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuma (JVP) will hold its May Day rally at the BRC grounds in Colombo. Party supporters will begin their march at 12.00 noon from the Saranankara grounds at Dehiwela, and proceed to the BRC ground where the meeting will commence at 3.30 pm. All party leaders will be present at the rally which is being held under the theme, “Front against Imperialism and for Socialist rule”.
A book compiled by JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe and General Secretary Tilvin Silva, analysing the recent political developments including the Geneva Resolution and human rights, will also be launched at the rally.
The JVP dissident group, the Frontline Socialist Alliance will hold only a rally at Gunasinghepura in Colombo, which will also have several others socialist groups in its fold, including the NLF of Wickramabahu Karunaratna, as well as the United Socialist Party of Siritunga Jayatunga.
The Ceylon Worker's Congress (CWC) will hold its rally in Ginigathhena, while the Upcountry People’s Front (UPF) will hold its May Day rally in Punduluoya.
The Ceylon Bank Employees Union, along with 25 other trade unions, will hold their May Day celebrations with a march starting at the Fort Railway Station at 1.00 pm. The march via Slave Island, will conclude at Hyde Park with a rally scheduled for 3.30 pm.
The Health Sector Association, the Free Trade Zone Workers Union, the Public Service United Nurses Union, the Railway Service Trade Union Alliance, the State Printing Sector Union and the Telecommunication Union are among the 26 Trade Unions participating at this joint rally.
The Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) has decided to hold a May Day rally on a grand scale, this time around in Jaffna. The rally has been organised to reflect the aspirations of the Tamil speaking people in the North, towards a united Sri Lanka brimming with peace and happiness, and to portray the resettlement of the returnees and the massive development activities launched by the government in the North. Processions to the rally will start from three venues, and will meet at Hospital Road in Jaffna, from where it will proceed to the Jaffna Municipal Complex Grounds for the rally. The EPDP said it expects around 15,000 to attend the rally. |
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