ULF to back JVP Leader in presidential poll

• Committed to defeating authoritarianism, says ULF organiser Jayampathy Wickramaratne 
• Urges people to give second preference to strongest candidate against GR
• MP Wickramaratne to continue to sit on Govt. benches

National List MP and United Left Front (ULF) National Organiser Jayampathy Wickramaratne says that while his Party will support JVP Leader Anura Dissanayake of the ‘Jathika Jana Balavegaya’ in the upcoming presidential election, it has also decided to request party supporters and the people to mark the second preference in favour of the strongest candidate against SLPP’s nominee Gotabaya Rajapaksa in order to defeat the threat of authoritarianism.  In a statement, Wickramaratne said that consensus in the Central Committee of his Party was clearly to pursue both objectives with the same vigour.  

He also denied that the ULF has decided to leave the Government.  “No decision was taken to leave the Government. On the other hand, the Party decided unanimously that I should continue to sit on the Government benches,” he said in the statement.