Opposition holds rally in Nugegoda

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 October 2002, 01:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and other constituent parties of People Alliance (PA) today held a public rally in the Nugegoda Juntion, protesting against the United National Front Government (UNF) and to celebrate the rejection by the Supreme Court of the 19th Amendement through which the UNF sought to clip the powers of President Chandrika Kumaratunge.

Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse, Lanka Samasamaja Party leader Batti Weerakoon, Southern Provincial Council member of Sri Lanka Communist Party Dani Hettatiya, Member of Mahajan Eksath Peramuna (MEP) Dinesh Gunawardena, and Member of Sri Lanka Mahajana Party Renuka Perera participated in the protest and addressed the rally.

President Chandrika Kumaratunge and propaganda secretary of the Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Wimal Weerawanse were not present at the rally.

Former Speaker Anura Bandaranaike and Members of Parliament Nimal Sripale de Silva, Maithiripala Srisena, Susil Premajayantha, and Putrasigamani also addressed the rally.





Anura Bandaranaike said that UNF government will never be able to remove the executive powers of president Chandrika Kumaratunge.

Mahinda Rajapakse said that he was confident that the UNF government will enjoy power for only a few more months and that his People Alliance party will be gearing up to form a new government with a host of opposition parties soon.





Hundreds of people participated in the protest braving the rain.