|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 25 January 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Politics |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Issue of chair symbol: SLFP talks with PA partners by Deepal Warnakulasuriya The People's Alliance will continue its identity as a separate political entity and maintain its political activities, separate from the SLFP-JVP Alliance. However, doubts have been expressed as to whether parties allied with the PA, but now part of the new alliance, would continue to contest under the PA banner, at the forthcoming general elections. PA General Secretary D.M. Jayaratne maintaining that the SLFP-JVP Alliance was a timely need to save the country from separation admitted doubts as to whether all the parties allied with the PA would contest under the `chair' symbol. Confirming that the SLFP and JVP will come under a single banner as an Alliance, he said that the SLFP leadership will hold talks with other PA allied parties to reach a decision over the issue. He also pointed out that all SLFP MPs represent Parliament as PA MPs and the PA will definitely continue as a separate political party. Communist Party General Secretary DEW Gunasekara confirmed that they did not have any problem over the Alliance and expressed confidence of the Alliance making every effort to guide the country in the right direction. He however, said that they had encountered several problems in the document provided to them by the Alliance prior to the signing of the MoU and they had discussed with the President the shortcomings of the document. "The first document didn't include the abolition of the Executive Presidency, reformation, of the electoral system or the necessity for a common consensus to the national problem. There were also several other issues that needed to be rectified and she accepted our recommendations," he said. LSSP General Secretary Batty Weerakoon said that the LSSP wanted the President to go ahead with the peace process but with a contribution of the UNF. He also said that the `Alliance' would help the President to woo the JVP's consent to proceed with the process. Weerakoon assured that PA would go on and said that it would be there till the SLFP was on right tracks. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
