Split widens within JVP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 April 2008, 14:35 GMT]
Wimal Weerawansa, propaganda secretary of the extreme Sinhala nationalist Janatha Wimukthi Peramuna (JVP), was conspicuously absent from the Hero’s day celebrations held at the Viharamahadevi open air theatre Saturday evening, indicating a widenening split within the party, political sources in Colombo said. The suspended JVP Parliamentary Group leader was allegedly not invited for the party's 37th Hero's commemoration event.

In all previous years, Weerawansa has been the master of the ceremonies, except on one occasion where he was in London on the commemoration day.

At the ceremony JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe pointedly made remarks on the "behaviour" of some of the senior members. "This party has not formed to punish any one, but if our members are found to be violating the party policies, then they would punished strongly," Amarasinghe said.

Anura Kumar Dissanayake, Ramalingam Chandrasekeran, and General Secretary Tilvin Silva were also not present at the ceremony. Sources said that all three of them were out of Sri Lanka Saturday.



Chronology: