2ND LEAD:

JVP leaves UPFA, calls press conference on Thursday

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 June 2005, 18:39 GMT]
Mr.Somawanse Amerasinghe, leader of the marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said Wednesday evening in Kandy that the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) will not be in power on Thursday if Sri Lanka’s President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge does not revoke her decision to sign the joint mechanism proposal with the LTTE before 11.59 PM Wednesday. Mr.Amarasinghe made this remark when addressing the JVP district conference in Kandy this evening, sources said. In the meantime, JVP minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake told media in Colombo that JVP has dispatched letters informing their decision to leave the UPFA alliance to the President and to the Prime Minister, sources in Colombo said.

JVP has informed the Speaker V.J.M.Lokkubanda to allocate seats in the opposition side in parliament, minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake further said.

JVP has already issued an ultimatum to President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge that it would withdraw from the UPFA government if she fails to reject the Joint Mechanism by Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the JVP is to hold a press briefing Thursday at 10 a.m. in the Colombo National Library Auditorium to announce their future political strategy, Colombo media sources said.

Mr. Somawanse Amerasinghe further said Sri Lanka is not prepared to face a general election now but JVP is prepared to face a general election if is forced to do so, he added.

While the United People's Freedom Alliance is struggling to manouver itself out of the political impasse, Ministers Mangala Samaweera and Anura Bandaranaike who were the key figures in the back drop of forming the UPLF left for China today to take part in an exhibition to promote tourism in the region.

Minister Mangala Samaraweera resigned from one of his portfolios as Minister of Media recently.

Departure of two key Ministers to Beijing when the Janatha Vimukthi Peramua (JVP) has given the ultimatum to leave the UPLF coalition over the Joint Mechanism issue today, is an indication that the Government has exhausted all options of convincing JVP to change its stand over the aid deal, politcal observers in Colombo said.