Split in Opposition alliance:

JVP denies any alliance with UNP

by Shanika Sriyananda

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), which was on a common political platform with the UNP at the presidential polls has strongly denied having any alliance with the UNP. The Opposition alliance, which was on a common platform to win their common candidate the former army chief General Sarath Fonseka at the presidential election, has split and the parties in the alliance including the UNP has decided to contest the forthcoming parliamentary polls alone.

Secretary, New Democratic Alliance, Vijitha Herath told the Sunday Observer that the JVP never had any alliance or an agreement with the UNP and will not be in the same forum with the UNP in future.

“The JVP is a party with a policy and we strongly emphasised that we would not support or work together with the UNP.

We kept our word but with Fonseka’s arrival into politics we decided to support him. In addition the JVP, the parties that agreed to support Fonseka, got together to bring him to power by forming an alliance. The JVP was merely a part of it to bring Fonseka into power”, he said.

However, it was reported that the JVP broke away from the UNP led Alliance was over the symbol - the elephant - that was to be used at the April 8 polls.

The UNP has decided to contest the polls with their symbol and not under the Swan, in which UNP and JVP supported Fonseka at the presidential polls.

Herath said that the party had made known in their presidential election campaigns that the JVP does not have any alliance with the UNP. “Apart from the desire to bring Fonseka into power, the main reason that the JVP rallied together with the UNP was to abolish the executive presidency”, he said.

He said that the crucial situation in which Fonseka contested the presidential polls made the JVP to get on to a common platform leaving aside the disparities of their party politics.

Herath said that the JVP would not join the UNP to contest the forthcoming parliamentary elections but had formed the New Democratic Alliance to face the polls.

Political analysts have predicted a major victory for the UPFA due to the split. They said that the split in the Opposition alliance will cause a major defeat and it would further strengthen the hands of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.