JVP DEMANDS RANIL TO RESIGN AS PRIME MINISTER DECLARES THAT HE WAS WASHING HIS HANDS FROM PEACE PROCESS
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles
January 09, 08.30 AM:Sri Lanka’s second largest opposition party, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said in a press briefing that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who entered a ceasefire agreement secretly with the Tamil Tigers, even without the knowledge of the head of state of the country, was trying to wash his hands of the responsibilities of the agreement secretly now and he should instead resign from the Premiership of the country admitting his miserable failure.
Citing what he called the Prime Minister’s miserable failure for the last two years, the Parliamentary group leader of the JVP Wimal Weerawansa said at a press briefing at Hotel Nippon in Central Colombo, Jan 7, that his Ceasefire agreement did nothing else but supply a break for a weak LTTE to strengthen itself militarily by importing large hauls of arms and invigorating itself by establishing itself politically on a firmer ground and improving its international connections more vigorously.
Weerawansa said a scene established by Ranil Wickremesinghe in the most secretive manner was coming to an end in the same secretive way and the country and the JVP could not see the political maneuver as anything else other than a hilarious comic act.
Wimal Weerawansa replying to the Prime Minister’s argument that he was washing his hands from the responsibilities of the Ceasefire Agreement since the conditions had changed now as he did not have the Ministry of Defense in his hands said there wasn’t a single condition in the Ceasefire Agreement to say that the Ministry of Defense should be in the hands of the Prime Minister’s party or him
Weerawansa categorically said, despite the pampering, Ranil Wickremesinghe miserably failed to deliver anything to the country and therefore he should resign from the premiership by declaring that since he did not have the power of the President he could not do anything..
Weerawansa clarified that Ranil Wickremesinghe should resign not only from the Premiership but also from the parliament on the basis of his argument that he would now withdraw from the “peace process” if full responsibilities and control of it was not vested in him
Weerawansa charged that the Prime minister was withdrawing from the responsibilities of the Ceasefire Agreement after endangering the whole nation through the infamous agreement.
Calling the agreement as an instrument Ranil Wickremesinghe signed to transfer the administration of the Northern and Eastern provinces to the LTTE he said the president should allow the masses of Sri Lanka to take a verdict about it in an open and free election soon without taking over the responsibilities of the agreement..
Accusing that Ranil Wickremesinghe intended to weaken the military strength of the nation as the LTTE requested it, Weerawansa said the LTTE intentions would be fully fulfilled if the Ministry of Defense were to be handed back to the Ranil Wickremesinghe government
Weerawansa challenged Prime Minister Wickremesinghe to point out under which and which clause in the Ceasefire Agreement it had become impossible for him to carry forward the peace process without the Defense Ministry portfolio.
He said the main objective of the Ceasefire Agreement was Ranil to become the Executive President of the country at the expense of the nation.
Weerawansa replying to the questions said the JVP was not against receiving military assistance and advise from any other country but that did not mean any foreign troops coming to Sri Lanka.
While Norway and the United States accuse President Chandrika Kumaratunga for her political bickering with her opponent, the pro-American Ranil Wickremesinghe government for the failure of the peace process, there has been no progress of the peace negotiations since it became virtually dead after the rebel group LTTE withdrew from the negotiations in April last year. That was long before President Chandrika Kumaratunga took over the Ministry of Defense in to her hands from the Ranil Wickremesinghe government.
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