Four Party Leaders sign pact with JVP-SLFP alliance

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 February 2004, 15:22 GMT]
Leaders of four political parties Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP), National United Alliance (NUA), Sri Lanka Mahajana Party (SLMP) and Desha Vimukthi Janatha Peramuna (DVJP) Monday signed a pact with the newly formed United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) at a ceremony held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference hall (BMICH), political sources said.

Mr.Dinesh Gunawardene of the MEP, Ms Ferial Ashraff of the NUA, Mr.Ranjith Navaretna of SLMP and Mr.K.A.Podiappuhamy of DJVP signed the pact with Maithripala Sirisena and Mr.Tilvin Silva of the UPFA.

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party(SLFP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) formed the UPFA last month with the objective of defeating the ruling United national Front at the general election.

Four more political parties have joined the UPFA to take forward the progress march, said leaders addressing the event later.

SLFP general secretary Mr.Maithiripala Sirisena appealed to "all progressive forces in the country to join the UPFA to free the country from the clutches from foreign forces."

JVP general secretary Mr.Tilvin Silva said, "patriotic groups should come forward to help the UPFA to capture power and to make Sri Lanka politically and economically independent from the imperialist forces."

NUA President Ms Ferial Ashraff said her party joined the UPFA accepting the historical responsibility to salvage the country from current political chaos. The new alliance will treat every citizen of Sri Lanka the same irrespective of race, religion and other differences, she added.

DVJP general secretary Mr.K.A.Podiappuhamy said his party has joined the UPFA to consolidate the progressive forces of the country.

MEP leader Mr.Dinesh Gunawardene said it was high time for the progressive forces of the country to join the UPFA to rescue the country, sources said.

Meanwhile, the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), a paramilitary group that works with the Sri Lankan armed forces in Sri Lanka’s northeast, in a statement Monday said it would extend its support to the UPFA from outside.