Toppling UNF Government, PA's sole focus - Batty Weerakoon

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 June 2003, 00:11 GMT]
"People's Alliance (PA) of President Chandrika Kumaratunge does not have alternate policies for responding to issues of national importance. Instead PA is expending its energy in planning to topple the current United National Front (UNF) government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe," said Batty Weerakoon, Leader of leftist Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), speaking at a meeting of Civil Service Union in Colombo Thursday, local reports said.

The former Minister in the PA government, Mr. Weerakoon, further said, "There are several critical issues that affect the welfare of the people of this country. Opportunities abound to bring unity amongst people. The PA, however, is not showing any interest in grasping these opportunities to work for the people.

"Instead coming to an understanding with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) to create a coalition capable of toppling the UNF governement seems to have taken a higher priority. PA does not even seem to know difference between toppling and defeating the UNF government.

"Attempting to topple the ruling government will only result in consolidating the power of Wickremesinghe. Instead PA should work towards defeating the party in power on the strength of articulating alternative policies to improve the economic and social well-being of the people of this country," added Mr. Weerakoon.