SLFP, JVP branches to celebrate MoU signing

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 January 2004, 13:57 GMT]
Elaborate arrangements are being made in several parts of the country by the branches of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna to celebrate the event of signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the two political parties with religious observances and public meetings, political sources said.

Leaders of both political parties have appealed to the people to hoist national flag on Tuesday and pray for the success of the newly formed political alliance, media sources said.


Hundreds of thousands of colour posters heralding the JVP-SLFP as auspicious as a pot of milk boiling over appeared in most Sinhala majority districts of the island Monday

The signing of the MoU is scheduled to take place Tuesday morning at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference hall (BMICH).

Mr.Maithiripala Sirisena, SLFP general secretary and Mr.Tilvin Silva, general secretary of the JVP will sign the MoU at an auspicious time followed by a press conference, sources said.

President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge is not expected to participate at the signing event, sources said.

Along with the MoU both parties would sign a document titled "Five Great Aspects" (Pancha Maha Piliweth). Leaders of both parties are reported to have decided not to release the contents of the MoU to public, but release only the second document "Five Great Aspects", sources said

The State controlled Rupavahini and Independent Television Network (ITN) will telecast live the signing ceremony and the press briefing the leaders of the SLFP and JVP. The State controlled Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation would relay the event.

All state electronic and print media are now under the control of President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge since she took over the mass communication ministry with the defense and interior ministries last November.

Several political analysts expressed fears that the formation of the new political alliance would further complicate the current political crisis already worsented by the take over of three key ministries from United National Front government by the President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge.

However state controlled electronic and print media carry news praising the formation of the new political alliance saying that the alliance will usher a new political culture, sources said.