By Shamindra Ferdinando
The JVP has pulled out of Thursday’s protest at Maradana where the joint opposition led by the UNP is planning to bring tens and thousands of people to Colombo against the prorogation of the parliament and declaration of a referendum on proposed constitutional changes, opposition sources said yesterday.

Earlier, thousands of JVP’ers were scheduled to join the protest campaign scheduled to begin in the morning, the sources said adding that opposition supporters have been asked to gather near Gemunu Cinema at Wattala, Nugegoda junction, Thorana Handiya at Peliyagoda, Odeon Cinema at Dehiwela, Horana-Pepiliyana and Kotikawatte at 9 am. Following brief protests there, people would converge on Maradana from all main highways, the sources said.

The UNP, the SLMC, PLOTE, TELO, ACTC and the TULF would be involved in the protest.

A senior spokesman for the JVP’s parliamentary group yesterday said that they decided to ignore tomorrow’s UNP led demonstration. He accused the UNP of trying to manipulate rest of the opposition parties.

The JVP’s decision to boycott the demonstration comes a day after they declined to join opposition MPs to force their way through police barriers to enter the parliament where they met in one of parliament’s committee rooms and resolved to impeach President Chandrika Kumaratunga.

A spokesman for the Joint Opposition Action Committee responsible for organising the protest said that the JVP should not have pulled out of the first "joint action" against what he call President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s "first step towards dictatorship." He accused the JVP of indirectly supporting President Kumaratunga’s actions by refusing to co-operate with the joint opposition.

Opposition described the JVP’s unexpected pull out a "heavy blow" to their campaign against the government.

The JVP is treading a cautions path in its opposition to President Kumaratunga’s prorogation of parliament and referendum, opposition political sources said adding that the party is in line with the joint opposition but wary of not losing their identity.

Political sources interpreted the JVP’s stance to suggest that they intend to protect their identity and make substantial political gains and not allow themselves to be totally lumped with a common opposition. The JVP said that they have made all arrangements to hold a massive countrywide campaign next Monday to urge the government to re-open the parliament and also abandon plans for the referendum.