3:09 PM

Tilvin, Wimal pooh-pooh each other

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) yesterday declared that Wimal Weerawansa’s new party, the National Freedom Party (NFP), would have absolutely no impact on the JVP in any manner.

JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva told The Nation that the new party formed by 11 former JVP MPs along with former JVP strongman Wimal Weerawansa would have no impact on the JVP at all.

“We have nothing to comment about their party. They can form whatever party they want, but our party will continue to go forward, as before. The NFP has no effect on the JVP at all, and it will have no effect on us in the future as well,” Silva said.
He also said that the party would soon arrive at a decision about the posts Weerawansa held during his membership in the JVP while he was an active member of the party.

“At our next politburo meeting we will name someone else in the JVP to hold the positions of propaganda secretary and the JVP Parliamentary group leader, which were positions held by Weerawansa,” Silva said.

Meanwhile, NFP Chairman Wimal Weerawansa told The Nation that they did not consider the JVP as their main political opponent. He added that the NFF was formulating plans to become the alternative to the UNP and the SLFP.

“The JVP, under the present leadership, is not a threat to us or the two main political parties. Our battle will be against the two main political parties and we will become the alternative to them,” he said.

According to Weerawansa, the JVP had missed the opportunity to become a real challenge to the UNP and the SLFP and emerge as a powerful political force after the 2005 elections.

“The JVP leadership made several strategic errors, which were similar to the errors made by traditional leftist parties like the LSSP and the Communist Party,” Weerawansa pointed out.

“The JVP was established as an alternative to the traditional left. We were successful. The second challenge was to defeat the two main parties and we have failed. The party has failed to place itself as the alternative, which has become more obvious in the recent past, and we will fill that vacuum,” the NFP Chairman added.

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