JVP accuses Maithripala of betraying people

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) yesterday accused President Maithripala Sirisena of betraying the people by nominating former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to contest the parliament election under the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA).

JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said that the statement issued by UPFA General Secretary Susil Premjayantha makes it official that Rajapaksa has been given nominations to contest the polls.

 “This is a betrayal of the mandate given to the President on 8 January. In recent times this can be seen as the greatest betrayal,” Silva said at a media conference today.

He recalled that a majority of the people in the country had voted against Mahinda Rajapaksa at the last presidential election and backed Sirisena as President.

However, Silva said that Sirisena had now gone against the wishes of those very people who brought him to power by deciding to give Rajapaksa nominations.

He said that Sirisena had also betrayed the political parties and civil society groups which had worked hard to ensure that Rajapaksa and his family rule ended on 8 January.

Silva said that the JVP would campaign for the Parliamentary Elections by looking to ensure that the 8 January revolution was not reversed on 17 August. (Colombo Gazette)