Marxists, Kumaratunga alliance registered as new party

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 February 2004, 16:58 GMT]
The alliance between President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna was registered as a political party with the Commissioner of Elections Friday. Mr. Nandana Gunathilleka, MP of the JVP has been named President and Mr. Susil Premajayantha, MP, of the SLFP has been nominated the secretary of the new party. A spokesman for the JVP-SLFP alliance said the Commissioner of Elections has approved ‘Butterfly’ as the new party’s symbol.

The registration of the alliance between the JVP and the SLFP further fueled speculation in Colombo about an impending election to Sri Lanka’s Parliament.