LSSP contemplates leaving PA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 August 2003, 18:35 GMT]
The leadership of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), one of the constituents of the main opposition Peoples Alliance (PA), is seriously considering pulling out of the PA before the provincial and local elections, which are expected to be held during the first part of next year 2004, political sources said.

The General Secretary of the LSSP Mr. Batty Weerakoon said Saturday that his party is considering the possibility of contesting next year's local and provincial council election alone.

He further said his party would be in an advantageous position if it contested elections alone rather than fielding candidates under the banner of Peoples' Alliance, sources said.

However, a final decision in this regard whether to leave the PA or not would be taken after a discussion with the Peoples Alliance leadership, Mr. Weerakoon said.

The LSSP leader said his party could promote its own economic policy if it contested elections alone.

An influential section of the LSSP is pressuring its leaders to leave the People Alliance as it works closely with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and adopting a chauvinistic approach in derailing the present peace process, political sources said.

Soon after the December 2001 general election, the PA leadership had sidelined Mr. Batty Weerakoon by not nominating him as one of its national list parliamentarians, thus violating an election understanding signed between the two parties, political sources said.