Explaining why his party did not attend yesterday’s meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, JVP leader Somawansa Amerasinghe said "we didn’t go because we were unaware of the subject matter the President had in mind to discuss with us".

"What’s the use of going for a discussion without knowing the subject lined up for deliberations?", he asked.

"We have submitted many proposals over the last three years, but there had been no positive response to any of them from the President or the Government so far", he noted. "Simply nothing has come out of all our efforts".

"Before asking us for our proposals, the President should now use his vision and come out with a solution to the national issue as a leader and go before the people and explain what he is planning to do", the JVP leader said.

The JVP leadership was invited by Secretary to the President, Lalith Weeratunga to be present at Temple Trees by 10 am yesterday to discuss the current situation in the country with President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

"If the President needs the backing of the other political parties, he should clearly state what kind of support he needs", Amarasinghe said.

"The JVP is not a political party which works on personal agendas or for any personal benefits or privileges".

He said that during the past, the JVP took many decisions at very critical moments to take the country forward — for example the support given to the probationary Government in 2001 and again in 2004.

"We contributed a lot to bring down the UNP Government and we fought alone to do that".

"In 2004, we came to an agreement with the SLFP to form the UPFA and had four Ministerial portfolios and did everything positive for the benefit of the people", Amarasinghe recalled.

"At the Presidential elections, we reached an agreement to plan out the strategy and worked wholeheartedly for Mahinda Rajapaksa to make him the President".

Now it is the President’s role as the leader of the country to do everything possible without violating the mandate he received in 2005, he stressed.

"In future, if there is a need for us to intervene to pull the country and the people out of a critical situation, we will do so because the history of the country has proved that the JVP will always be with the nation", he said.

"We will do everything possible to bring the country and people out of a critical situation".

"We are creating an awareness among the people on the prevailing political situation and the global economic crisis and how that will affect Sri Lanka", Amarasinghe said.