What next Comrade Amarasinghe?

Breaking away from the JVP, its former leader appears to be on a quixotic quest:

by Ranil Wijayapala

Former JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe in a pensive mood during the fast

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramauna which faced another blow when its longest serving party member and former leader Somawansa Amarasinghe left the party on April 16 over disagreements on certain issues seems to have failed to accommodate him back in their party despite hopes to settle the issue before the May Day.

Many JVP seniors have apparently failed in their attempts to convince comrade Amarasinghe, as he stuck to his agenda disregarding appeals to rejoin.

This was quite apparent when the former JVP leader launched a symbolic fast campaign on May Day morning urging President Maithripala Sirisena and the authorities to expedite the investigations against the conspirators of the alleged coup attempt in the early hours of January 9, 2015 the day after the Presidential election.

He was referring to the alleged attempt by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to remain in power despite his defeat at the Presidential election using military powers.

Sitting on the floor of the Independence Square and displaying two handwritten billboards in Sinhala and English, Amarasinghe urged President Maithripala Sirisena to protect himself from the conspirators of the coup attempt saying that neglecting such investigations would be a serious threat to the President.

He also pointed out that since three attempts have already made to take the life of President it is utmost important to expedite the investigations on this alleged coup attempt.

"We cannot ignore this because the President himself and the Foreign Minister have already stated that there was such coup attempt on the early hours on January 9 and Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera had lodged a complaint at the Criminal Investigation Department in this regard", Amarasinghe added.

"Despite the seriousness of the issue investigations are delayed daily", he said.

"If someone is trying to take over State power in an illegal manner, that is the biggest crime that can happen in a country.

That should be investigated within a shortest possible time after questioning those involved and bringing them before justice as soon as possible", he explained.

"There is one example in Sri Lanka where prompt actions were taken against such conspirators the people who had made a coup attempt against then Prime Minister late Sirimavo Bandaranaike. Those who were behind the coup were arrested within minutes and they were brought before the courts and convicted. That is the way action should be taken against the conspirators of a coup attempt", he added.

He said some people are now trying to convince that allegations on coup attempts are a false one. "Such comments should come once the investigations are over and not before the investigations are commenced", he added.

However, the former JVP leader said his symbolic fast was not an attempt to line up with President Maitripala Sirisena.

Elected

"President Maitripala Sirisena was elected by 6.2 million people of this country and he should be protected from such conspirators. He cannot be allowed to fall victim of such conspiracies because he is bound to serve the people", he added.

Asked whether there is any organisation behind his campaign he said he is asking people to organise themselves to defeat such conspirators.He concluded his symbolic fast at 6 pm on Friday and vowed to continue his effort with the support of the common masses.

He said though he was alone on April 16, when he left the party, now, people are lining up in support of h m. Though Amarasinghe claimed his symbolic fast campaign was not connected with his decision to leave the JVP, the fast was his first attempt to draw the media attention towards him.He also said he will reveal his future plans in the next few weeks once things are finalised.

Though his decision to leave the party hit media headlines soon after New Year, it apparently could not create any rift within the party like in earlier situations when former Minister Wimal Weerawansha was ousted from the JVP in 2008 and now the attempt by Kumar Gunaratnam to create a rift within the party was foiled by the JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe.

Claims

Somawansa's claims that many JVP stalwarts would join with him has been rejected by many JVPers like K.D. Lalkantha.

Amarasinghe has apparently left the party dissatisfied with the JVP's failure to take advantage of the situation after the defeat of Mahinda Rajapaksa. It was the JVP which fought fearlessly against the Rajapaksa regime revealing all corruptions and frauds under his regime but not reaping benefits out of this situation would have created frustration.

His voice may not have been heard in the Central Committee and also the Politburo in which he was a member when taking decisions in favour of the majority.What the JVP is highlighting is that as a party which works according to the majority views of the Central Committee and the Politburo, they cannot implement a view of an individual as a political party.

According to sources, Amarasinghe has consistently urged the party to issue statements over the coup attempt in the early hours of January 9, but the party has not even issued a media statement on this issue.

That may be the reason Somawansa Amarasinghe launched a symbolic fast on May Day to start his own campaign on the issue after leaving the party.

Isolated

Toppin all these facts, Amarasinghe would have felt isolated within the party when his voice was not heard prominently in a party in which he had been leader for several decades until he steps down in 2014 giving way to Anura Kumara Dissanayake to lead the party.

The generation gap and ideological differences would have prompted him to leave the party in frustration as he felt that the party was not going on the right track.That is why he stated at the press conference he held soon after leaving the party that he would form a new political party to get the JVP on the right track. But so far there is no clue to say he would align with any political party or political movement after he left the party.

Though his decision to quit the party didn't have a major impact on the party, if he falls in line with another political party, the JVP will have to face consequences when it contests the general elections for not accommodating the views of its leader who had led the party to victory.

That is why the JVP leadership is trying their best to get him back to the party. However, even by yesterday after the May Day the JVP has not got any positive response from Amarasinghe.