JVP studies President’s reply

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 August 2001, 11:16 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunge Friday replied to the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) regarding her position in forming a probationary government as suggested by the latter during their two rounds of talks held earlier this month. However, the state-run Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), which reported the news did not reveal the contents of the President’s communication.
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Marxists and Buddhist monks join for protest

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 August 2001, 18:13 GMT]
Sri Lanka's politically powerful Buddhist clergy aligned with the island's radical and 'moderate' Marxists Monday to demand that the Sri Lankan government should reconvene the Parliament and call off the proposed referendum on a referendum for a new constitution. The People's Centre for Democracy and the Freedom of the Country held a demonstration Monday around 2.30 p.m. at the Lipton Circus, a busy intersection in downtown Colombo. Thousands of protestors held placards and shouted slogans against the People's Alliance regime.
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Opposition plans massive rally, urges president's resignation

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 August 2001, 19:36 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party has launched a campaign to mobilize support of the people for its massive protest rally scheduled to be held in Colombo on August 23 Thursday, opposition party source said. Senior leaders of the UNP have been attending awareness meetings in several towns in the country to get more people to Colombo to attend the proposed rally, organised by The Alliance for Democracy organizes the rally, the sources said.
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UNP calls for dissolution of parliament

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 August 2001, 00:20 GMT]
The United National Party has called for "the immediate dissolution of the parliament and a general election held thereafter if there is no possibility of debating the no-confidence motion". Mr.Gamini Atukorale, Deputy Leader of the main opposition United National Party made this call addressing meeting at Kandy Friday evening.
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SL crisis deepens as majority legislators stake claim

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 August 2001, 12:17 GMT]
The majority of the members of the Sri Lankan Parliamentarian met in the legislature Friday and unanimously resolved to go ahead with the no confidence motion against President Chandrika Kumaratunga's government and defy any attempt by her to suspend Parliament again.
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"Economy in shambles, law and order breakdown"- opposition

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 August 2001, 19:58 GMT]
"The economy is in shambles. There is no law and order. The government has no majority in parliament. The government is not in a position to present the budget," said Dr.Karunasena Kodituwakku, Media Spokesman and parliamentarian of the United National Party (UNP), addressing opposition demonstrators at Kolonnawa, an outer suburb of Colombo, Thursday. The Marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) demonstrated against President Kumaratunga's government Thursday in front of the island's central railway station in downtown Colombo, despite reports that the party might help her stay in power.
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Hakeem castigates PA for "injustices" to minorities

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 August 2001, 16:38 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (Hakeem wing) has blamed the People's Alliance (PA) government for racial violence perpetrated on Muslims and other minority communities in the island since 1994. "The Muslim community in the country has witnessed more than seventy incidents of racial violence against it under the present government," said Mr.Rauff Hakeem, the Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, addressing a public meeting at Panduwasnwara in the Kandy district Thursday evening.
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JVP re-iterates conditional support to PA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 August 2001, 18:56 GMT]
The Marxist-Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Saturday said that it would support a probation government while continuing to be in opposition, without accepting positions in government. Mr.Wimal Weerawanse, Propaganda Secretary and a Parliamentarian, said in an interview with the State-run Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation that his party's proposal to form a probation government has been made to President Chandrika Kumaratunge, to "save the country from economic disaster and political anarchy."
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President receptive to JVP's proposals

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 August 2001, 17:10 GMT]
President Chandrika Kumaratunge Friday agreed to discuss the Marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna's political proposals with the leaders of constituent parties in the ruling People's Alliance. The JVP's parliamentary group leader Wimal Weerawanse said, "the President has agreed to a number of proposals in our program. She wanted more time to discuss with her political allies about the proposal to form a probation government."
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President-JVP to have crucial talks on Friday

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 August 2001, 14:15 GMT]
The Marxist-Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said Thursday that it would have talks with President Chandrika Kumaratunge Friday afternoon about the formation of "a probation government".
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JVP wants "probation" government

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 August 2001, 16:02 GMT]
The Marxist-Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Wednesday called for what they described as a "probationary" government. A party spokesman said that the JVP has submitted a proposal to the Sri Lankan government for the purpose. "The government should have cancelled the referendum instead of postponing it. If the parliament is reconvened it would be possible to consider the governmentÌs proposal for setting up of a constitution planning council," Mr. Wimal Weerawanse, Propaganda Secretary of the JVP, said.
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Joint opposition demands parliament reopens

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 August 2001, 11:05 GMT]
The joint opposition Wednesday asked the Government to reconvene parliament immediately and to cancel the referendum. Leaders of united National Party, Janata Vimukthi Peramuna, Sihala Urumaya, Tamil United Liberation Front, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (Hakeem group) and All Ceylon Tamil Congress met this morning under the leadership of Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, Leader of the Opposition and reviewed the President's decision to postpone the referendum for October 18.
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Opposition urges checks on referendum rigging

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 August 2001, 21:16 GMT]
Opposition parties Monday urged the Sri Lanka's Commissioner of Elections to take steps to stop rigging at the referendum on 21 August. Leaders of the United National Party, the Marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna, the Tamil United Liberation Front and the Sihala Urumaya met the Coomissioner of elections Monday morning for discussions about conducting the referendum in a free and fair manner.
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JVP to support PA if referendum is called off

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 August 2001, 15:28 GMT]
The Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Thursday said that it was prepared to extend conditional support to the People's Alliance (PA) government for one year, if the PA called off the August 21 referendum. Mr.Tilvin Silva, General Secretary of the JVP told a press conference Thursday morning that they would give a year for the PA government to implement democratic reforms.
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President requests opposition support

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 July 2001, 05:43 GMT]
The appeal by President Chandrika Kumaratunge Wednesday night over the state television to opposition parties including United National Party "to put aside all political and other petty differences and join her government to rebuild the nation" has received mixed responses in political circles. UNP sources said, "if the government needs the co-operation of opposition at this critical juncture, it should prove its bona fide by reconvening the prorogued parliament and cancelling the 'mock' referendum".
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Opposition slams government over attack

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 July 2001, 22:35 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) and the Marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) have appealed to President Chandrika Kumaratunge to reconvene the prorogued parliament immediately. Both parties made this appeal in the wake of Liberation Tigers’ dawn attack on Katunayake airbase in the early hours of Tuesday morning. " The government is in breach of its duty to protect Katunayake international airport," said the UNP leader, Ranil Wickremasinghe, addressing a press conference Tuesday evening.
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Army's Intimidation of Tamil journalists condemned

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 July 2001, 22:50 GMT]
Aiyathurai Nadesan, a prize winning Tamil journalist in the eastern Town of Batticaloa, was threatened by the coordinating officer of the Sri Lanka Army's 23-3 brigade last week. The Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance (SLTMA) and the Eastern Lanka Journalists' Association (ELJA) issued statements Friday condemning the intimidation.
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Stand of all parties on Referendum revealed

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 July 2001, 22:46 GMT]
Thirty-three recognized political parties have intimated to the Department of Elections, whether they are for or against the referendum scheduled to be held on August 21, according to a press release by the Commissioner of Elections Dayananda Dissanayake. "Political parties that have not intimated their stand to the Department of Elections will be treated as neutral parties," the press release added.
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Opposition parties condemn attack on demonstrators

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 July 2001, 20:43 GMT]
Sri Lanka's opposition parties condemned the police attack on anti-government demonstrators that left two people dead and about 70 wounded. UNP sources said the police attacked demonstrators led by Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe. The UNP Leader escaped unhurt due to the prompt action of his bodyguards. Mr.Wickremesinghe accused the police of trying to assassinate him.
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Impeachment of the President considered

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 July 2001, 18:09 GMT]
The opposition parties Monday decided to bring an impeachment motion against President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge. Briefing the press on Monday, Mr. Ranil Wicremasinghe (UNP), the Leader of the Opposition, said that constitutional experts are studying the charges and an impeachment motion will be filed with the Speaker within two weeks.
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