Clashes erupt within JVP - Somawansa leaves island

In a dramatic change of events the struggle between the senior leaders to the JVP has erupted into a massive scale clash with party leader Somawansa Amarasinghe leaving the country in the midst of an appeal by loyalists within the party to extend his support to the decision reached by the Central Committee to promote Gen. Sarath Fonseka.

Meanwhile highly placed sources reveal that Amarasinghe’s decision to refrain from attending the public meeting organized by the JVP Hyde Park Grounds on the 30th of last month was a result of the heavy criticism that he had to under-go in protesting the decision to back Fonseka.

It is also reported that the party has come under heavy criticism by several key players of the Central Committee including the recently resigned central committee member, Priyanga Kotalawala that the decision to back Sarath Fonseka was not ‘prudent’ given serious division in opinion. Kotalawala's position was backed by many others.

Sources further reveal that the attempt of JVP parliamentarian, Anura Kumara Dissanayake to take part in the media briefing called by Sarath Fonseka was blocked by the UNP parliamentarians who objected Dissanayake’s entry to the room.Meanwhile Dissanayake has left the place expressing his dissatisfaction over certain statements made by Fonseka.

Fonseka stated that that he accepts the ‘open economy’ and that an extended time period is necessary to abolish the executive presidency. He also said that he will depend heavily on the expertise of the UNP in relation to economic affairs.

Dissanayake has stated that he was instrumental in bringing Fonseka as the common candidate of the opposition but now he is finding it hard to face the grass root level members of the partly due to these contradictory statements of Fonseka.

Sarath Fonseka’s entry to politics with the blessings of several UNP and JVP parliamentarians has a major inconsistency in the political agendas of the both parties, analysts observe.

It is reported that parliamentarians Sunil Handunneththi and Bimal Ratnayake will soon leave the country in protest of these moves of the party.

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