News
All parties ready to flex their muscle on May Day
View(s):By Kasun Warakapitiya
The United National Party (UNP) hopes to begin the construction of its stage at Maligawatte today.
Party General Secretary Range Bandara said President Ranil Wickremesinghe is due to take part in the event scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
He said Indian artists have also confirmed that they will attend the musical show to be held later in the evening.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuana (SLPP) hopes to begin constructing their stage tomorrow at Campbell Park.
SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariywasam said their rally is aimed at further enhancing the strength of the party. He said Rohitha Abeygunawardena has been entrusted with planning it.
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- More a case of politics than workers’ rights: Parties of all shades announce their May Day rallies, events. Pix by Eshan Fernando
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) said it will commemorate the rights of workers under the theme of a strong country and a great future: “savibala ratak, anagi hetak.” The party’s general secretary, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, said they have changed their venue to Chatham Street, near the Krish building.
He added that the procession will start at the A.E. Gunasinghe grounds around 2 p.m. The SJB, too, plans to conclude the evening with entertainment.
The National People’s Power (NPP) will have a leading party member at each of the rallies to be held in four cities: Colombo, Matara, Anuradhapura, and Jaffna, said member Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa. He said the rally in Colombo would be held in front of the Dewatagaha mosque. Party leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake would lead this event.
The Colombo rally would start from the BRC grounds at 2 p.m.
He said the Anuradhapura rally would be held at Salgadu grounds, while the Matara rally would be held at Matara Beach Park. In Jaffna, the rally will be held at 10 a.m.
The NPP’s May Day theme is taking people’s power forward to find solutions to build the country: “Rata Hhadana Visadum Wenuwen Jana Balaya Perata.“.
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) had decided to hold their May Day event at the Gampaha Municipal Council grounds, party sources said.
Acting General Secretary Sarathie Dushmantha said they plan to hold a large-scale May Day event. He added that nobody is restricted from joining the event, despite internal issues.
A spokesperson for the Freedom People’s Congress (SLPP breakaway group) said the party has not planned an event of their own but that the party leader, Dullas Alahapperuma, has received several invitations from other parties. The party will decide on which rally to join, he said.
The Frontline Socialist Party has scheduled their rally at Hyde Park, with the procession starting from Maligakanda at 1 p.m. Publicity secretary, Pubudu Jagoda, said their theme is Working people, let’s defeat the IMF death trap and Indian colonisation (weda karnana janathawani, IMF mara ugulen ha Indiyanu yatahwijithakaranaya parajaya karamu).
The Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) will hold its rally at the Ananda Samarakoon open theatre.
Communist Party (CP) General Secretary G. Weerasinghe said that since there were divisions in the LSSP, some members would join their rally along with the National Freedom Front, Democratic Left Front, Pivithuru Hela Urumaya, Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya, Manushiya Janatha Sandanaya, and Dushana Virodhi Jathika Pakshaya.
Meanwhile, trade union leaders have planned their own rallies.
The Ceylon Mercantile Union (CMU) said they will celebrate Workers’ Day on a grand scale, with seven trade unions joining them on one platform.
General Secretary S.P. Nathan said they will not indulge in party politics. He added that they will begin their May Day procession from CMU headquarters at Kollupitiya. “We will take the route from Dharmapala Mawatha and will reach Viharamahadevi Park, where we will hold our event,” he said.
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