Flashback 

'JVP - testimony to change the country aspires'

by Ranil Wijayapala

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), initiated by the late Rohana Wijeweera in 1965 as an alternative to the then leftist movement has come a long way to become the third force in politics in Sri Lanka.

The JVP, on of the most suppressed southern political party due to its failed attempt s to take over State power through armed struggles in the 1970s and in the late 1980s has matured to reject violence and has come before the people to seek a mandate to take over the controlling power of the legislature at the August 17 Parliamentary Election.

According to JVP leader, Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, a fire brand politician who took over the leadership, is ready to make its first step towards taking over State power at this election and invites voters to afford them the opportunity to become the main opposition as a first step.

The new generation JVP leaders believe they have made a major leap in politics to take the party beyond its dream of becoming a third force in Sri Lankan politics, to a party which can think of forming a government in the near future probably at the next parliamentary election.

Disappointed

Has the JVP reached a position to seek the mandate of the people to form a government, is an issue before the people before they take a decision as many are disappointed with the two main political parties and are analyzing the performance of the JVP.

The primary objective was to become an alternative Left movement after defeating the then Left parties within the democratic framework. The suppression of the party by the then leftist movement and the two main political parties in power led them to achieve their objective through armed struggle.

Even after facing its first armed struggle in 1972 against the Sri Lankan state, the JVP tried its best to enter mainstream politics after contesting the Colombo Municipal Council election in 1979. Though they could not secure a seat in the CMC in 1979 they made their next attempt at the District Development Council election in 1981 and secured 13 seats in District Development Councils.

Rohana Wijeweera contested the 1982 Presidential election along with J.R. Jayewardene from the UNP and Hector Kobbekaduwa from the SLFP securing 273,428 the third highest vote in the Presidential election. They believe that it was to stop their journey in mainstream politics that President J.R. Jayewardene had a referendum in 1983 to postpone the general election and proscribed the party undemocratically taking cover of the 1983 ethnic riots.

However, the JVP could not avoid yet another armed struggle in the late 1980's against the then UNP government led by President J.R. Jayawardene when the sovereignty of the country was at stake after signing the Indo - Lanka Peace Accord in 1987.

However, the JVP should take sole responsibility for the innocent lives of the southern youth who sacrificed their lives to achieve the petty objectives of the party which was far beyond its reach and also for the terror they spread to get the people's support towards their struggle.

But it was after its founder's death under arrest, the JVP made its maiden entry into Parliament after securing 15,309 votes from the Hambantota district after contesting the election under the Sri Lanka Progressive Front. It was Nihal Galappaththi who represented the party in Parliament.

That was the beginning of a new journey for the JVP in mainstream politics and it continued its march increasing its vote base after attracting more youth to the party.

The entry of Wimal Weerawansa and Sunil Handunnetti to the Colombo Municipal Council, with the representation of political leaders of the likes of Dinesh Gunawardena, Geethanjana Gunawardena, Wickremabahu Karunaratne and other UNP stalwarts, gave momentum to the JVP to increase its vote base in Colombo and the suburbs.

In continued to improve its vote base, capitalizing on the failure of the two main political parties to provide solutions to the burning issues of the country and increased it s representation in Parliament to 10 at the October 2000 general election .

That was a show of strength by the JVP to turn into a formidable third force in Sri Lankan politics.

At the 2001 December general election, the JVP further improved its vote base and secured 815,353 votes to send 16 of their candidates to Parliament.

It was mainly due to the JVP showing its commitment to share the responsibility of taking the country on the democratic path and correct direction without falling into the extremism and dirty politics in the country.

Trust

People trusted the JVP as a party which would not allow any political force to divide the country in the face of the separatist agenda of the LTTE . That trust towards was maintained at the 2004 general election after its decision to contest the election with the SLFP-led coalition - the United People's Freedom Alliance. JVP candidates came first in the preferential vote lists in almost all the districts, even pushing popular SLFP leaders to the third and fourth place.

Later they accepted four Ministerial portfolios in the Cabinet and four Deputy Ministerial portfolios.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Vijitha Herath, K.D. Lalkantha and Chandrasena Wijesinghe were sworn in as Cabinet Ministers and Bimal Ratnayaka, Samantha Vidyaratna and Sunil Handunnetti accepted Deputy Ministerial portfolios.

However, they later withdrew from the Government after sharp differences with President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga over the Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure in June 2005.

The JVP once again faced a problematic situation when its Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa was ousted from the party in 2008. That created a split in the party and faced its worst setback in its forward march when it decided to form an alliance to contest the 2010 general election with Sarath Fonseka who was imprisoned after the 2010 January presidential election.

The alliance could secure only seven seats in Parliament after obtaining 441,251 votes and had to share the seats with Sarath Fonseka's Democratic Party.

It was amidst JVP losing its position as a third force even at Provincial Councils election the JVP convention held in February 2014 decided to give its leadership to Anura Kumara Dissnayake a leader they think who has the capacity to take the party forward.

Its decision to become a pressure group on the government and continue its fight against corruption, paid dividends to the party and could capitalize on the failure of the two main political parties to fulfill their pledges to the people at the election platform. Its election campaign, the best campaign out of all parties, according political analysts is attracting more people towards it at this election.

Manifesto

The 'Accord of Conscientiousness,' the election manifesto of the JVP had gone far beyond the manifestos of the two main parties but it raise questions about the practicality of implementing it.

However, it could convince the people that they have a comprehensive plan to take the country forward and it is a path different from the other conventional parties in the country.

It's smooth sail in the election campaign in a peaceful environment will definitely become a factor to convince its ability to win the hearts and minds of the people.

At the same time the JVP has got the advantage of the ongoing debate over clean politics in the country as they could field clean candidates to contest the election and could get renowned professionals in their national list.

Following the huge debate over uncorrupt politicians and those who forget their policies after the elections the people are more inclined to take a decision at the election to take the country towards a new direction and the JVP will definitely become testimony to the change the country aspires to have after this election.