By Kalinga Weerakkody
‘The UNP and PA are only two sides of the same coin that follows the same path bringing our country and the masses to rack and ruin. The answer to this dilemma needless to say lies in developing a political and social force as an alternative to these two political parties’, leader of the Democratic Left Front (DLF) Vasudeva Nanayakkara said addressing a meeting held in Maharagama last Thursday.

He further said that ‘the issue of good governance cannot be resolved by holding governments to ransom. The JVP in addition sabotaged the rational election campaign around socio, economic issues in order to convert it into a campaign of dirty chauvinism.

‘Chandrika has formed an unprecedented war in the whole country. Today we are here to re-establish the democracy in the country instead of war.

Democracy includes the economic democracy where people should be able to make ends meet instead of sky rocketing costs of living. In Sri Lanka the gap between the have and have nots had been widened due to the short sighted policies adapted by politicians. Today society had turned upside down due to policies introduced during the past 25 years. The country should be re-democratised to build a better future for the unborn, he said.

In conclusion he said that the DLF had realised the plights of the people and appealed to the masses to join hands with them to raise voice in parliament on behalf of the suffering masses.’ In 1994 the PA government started to dig up mass graves of the disappeared which include the Sooriyakanda and many other places, promising their families that after the election they will bring to book all those responsible for the brutal killings carried out by the JVP and other unknown eliments. All family members of the disappeared rallied round the PA government on the assurance given by them, but upto date the government was unable to keep to their promise.

‘Today it is clear that this was another broken promise given by the PA government just to get votes of the innocents by fooling them’, Chairman of the Organisation of Parents and Family Members of the Disappeared (OPFMD) Chandra Pieris said addressing the gathering.

He further said that the person who sent letters with death threats to the common masses in the country under the bogus name of Keerthi Wijayabahu in the period of JVP insurgency, Somawansa Amarasighe had returned to the country after living a luxurious life in Britain for the past 12 years.

‘Amarasinghe who is said to be the current leader of the mass killing group is now talking about the rights of the masses. In 1988 to 1989 during the insurgency the JVP turned the country to an anarchy state’ he said.

Pieris further said that ‘we would like to remind the people that the JVP killed all members of all parties who opposed their arbitrary actions including the killing of hundreds of Buddhist clergy, diplomats, political leaders such as Vijaya Kumaratunga and artistes like Premakeerthi de Alwis’.

In conclusion he said ‘the people should be on the alert for a 3rd insurgency and as parents must educate their kith and kin not to fall into the same trap where two generations had fallen’.

Praba Nanayakkara, the DLF organiser for Maharagama and other candidates of the party addressed the gathering including General Secretary Percy Wickremasekara.