Defeat the minority NGO clique, Weerawanse tells SLFP Ministers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 June 2005, 07:23 GMT]
Mr.Wimal Weerawanse, parliamentary group leader of the JVP, in a special statement soon after the parliament reconvened on Wednesday, thanking the Ministers Anura Bandaranaike, Mangala Samaraweera, Lakshman Kadirgamar, Siripala de Silva, Susil Premajayanth, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse for their co-operation, said: "We, on behalf of the inspiration of millions of people, wish that you will be able to defeat the minority NGO clique which has wriggled its way into the Alliance government to destroy it." Mr. Weerawanse added that the JVP will function as an independent group of the opposition as announced earlier.

"If your struggle to defeat the conspiracy of this minority clique sustained by foreign aid of some NGOs become successful, may be we will meet on one platform," the powerful propaganda secretary of the extremist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) added.

"If the minority clique in the minority government moves to sign the joint mechanism, we will have to reconsider our desire to defend the stability of the Central Government and the Provincial Councils while acting as an independent group in the opposition. We would like to emphasis that this would decisively influence any decision we would take in any future election", Weerawanse said.

Excerpts from the special statement made by Mr. Wimal Weeravanse, soon after the parliament reconvened, follow:

"I thank you for giving this opportunity to make a special statement in this august assembly on the political decision we, as the JVP have taken.

"I would like to state, to this assembly, that the 39 members of the JVP would hereafter act as an independent group of the opposition as announced earlier.

"On several occasions I have indicated in this august assembly why we do not agree to the establishment of a joint mechanism with the LTTE. I take this opportunity to question those, who have taken over the government media to claim that it is something that is beneficial to the country, why this precious document has not been published yet. Without showing the bride they make hullabaloo about her beauty. The elucidation they make of the bride becomes hilarious, as they have not taken the trouble to show the country at least a photograph of the bride. Even if we ignore other factors, the conspiratory nature of this move indicates that it is a step that would have a destructive effect on the future of our Motherland.

"Certain parties, with tears in their eyes, tell us that we were too hasty in taking such a decision. Should not be swift even when the advertisements are published with the Government insignia on a controversial, sensitive matter that has not been agreed upon by us, a main party to the government? When the leadership of the Government, joined by a few individuals, tries to commit the same mistake the previous government did, which brought this government to power, what action should we select? Should we be idiots who assume that the Muslims, who were the mostly affected by tsunami and other Sinhalese and Tamil in the North and the East, would be rehabilitated by subjugating them to the bayonet of a terrorist organization? Either we should be witnesses to such an event or, as we consider that it is a mistake that would decisively affect the future of our country, we should take the most effective step that we could take.

"For this and various reasons we have distanced ourselves from the UPFA. However we have no intention on making the country unstable. Also we are not prepared to abandon our responsibility for the masses, who with immense hope, voted for the UPFA including us in 2004.

"We left the Alliance, not the progressive, patriotic masses that rallied round us to establish it.

"We will never abandon them. We would like to emphasise that we are prepared to function as an independent group in the opposition to fulfil that responsibility. However, if the minority clique in the minority government moves to sign the joint mechanism, we will have to reconsider, decisively, our desire to defend the stability of the Central Government and the Provincial Councils while being an independent group in the opposition. We would like to emphasis that this would decisively influence any decision we would take in any future election," said Mr.Wimal Weerawanse.

Venerable Athuraliya Ratana Thera, parliamentary group leader of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) also made a special statement that his party would oppose the proposed joint mechanism structure. JHU would launch an agitation in the country if the government signs the joint mechanism with the LTTE, Athuraliya Ratana Thera said.

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