"If the Government cannot revoke it by 12 midnight today; they can do it by 12 noon tomorrow. President Kumaratunga and her inner cabinet which meet at night will have to take this decision if they want to save their faces, or else they can get ready for a massive defeat in due course. We are now sure that the consolidated anti-dictatorial forces can defeat this threat to democracy and freedom of the nation," he said at the public representatives congress held Monday evening at Maharagama Youth Center.

The PCDFC could mobilize political, religious, social leaders, environmentalists, university students, artists and all progressive and democratic people against this threat to the democracy and freedom of the country. "Thus, we believe that this joint force can defeat any fraudulent scheme of President and her inner cabinet comprising a few ministers," he added.

"The PCDFC is not a yield of a single political party’s endeavors but all progressives and people loving the country. Now we are confronted with a series of threats to democracy and freedom of the country. After wining this obstacle we will fight against all neo imperialistic forces which try to swallow our motherland."

The veteran leftist Vasudeva Nanayakkara defined the first congress of the PCDFC as the dawn of a new era in the democracy and freedom of Sri Lanka. "President Kumaratunga wanted to double the authoritarian powers of the current constitution to hang on to power. The PCDFC will definitely defeat any threat against people and the country. Time has come for us to forget narrow political differences and to join hands to fight against undemocratic, dictatorial powers," he said.

Co-convener of the PCDFC, Rev. Maduluwawe Sobitha thero who could not attend the congress due to pre-scheduled events sent a statement saying "We’ll have to face challenges and march forward with the people."

While many outside forces were against Sri Lanka, the leaders of the nation were battling each other, and so far there has been no united force to meet problems faced by the people, said acting convener of the Inter University Students Federation, Ravindra Mudalige. "The PCDFC’s main aim is to mobilize religious, political and progressive people not only against the Government’s proposed referendum, but also to fight against neo-imperialism which exploits the country and to bring freedom, political, economic and social uplift of the country. This is the forum, we the student movement of Sri Lanka has repeatedly urged to the leaders."

The conference was chaired by veteran musician Premasiri Kemadasa, and was also addressed by Rev. Fr. Oscar Abeyratne, President of the Jathika Janatha Party, Srinath Perera, poet Parakrama Kodithuwakku, Film artist Wasantha Obeysekera, musician Gunadasa Kapuge, environmentalist and leader of the Green Party, Piyal Parakrama. Artiste Lucian Bulathsinhala headed the organizing procedures of the conference which staged a few cultural interludes of Kemadasa and songs by Gunadasa Kapuge. The PCDFC passed three resolutions to fight against the referendum, to make the "pot" symbol victorious and also to convene all progressive, democratic and socialist forces under the PCDFC to fight against any move against democracy and freedom of the country.