JVP looks at other strategies to unseat President

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said yesterday it would look for political strategies for an alternative approach to unseat President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the next presidential election.

JVP parliamentarian Vijitha Herath told a news conference that his party would go all out to end the Rajapaksa administration and for that purpose the party would work out new political strategies.

He said the government had, however, been compelled to have second thoughts on declaring an early presidential election given the considerable reduction in its vote bank at the elections to the Southern and Western Provincial Councils.

When asked whether the JVP would support a common candidate, Mr. Herath said, “The presidential election has not been announced yet and as such

we cannot an-

The Govt. is having second thoughts on declaring an early presidential election given the considerable reduction in its vote bank

swer with concrete facts. But, we are for an alternative political strategy to defeat this government. For the first time, some ruling party MPs have begun expressing their opposition to the government. A Cabinet Minister voted against the casino regulations. There were many other Cabinet ministers who abstained despite instructions to be present during the voting. Some ministers openly criticise the executive presidency. All these ruling party MPs got enough courage to stand up against the government given its electoral setback.”

Noting that the government could not muster even a simple majority in Parliament to pass these gazette notifications, Mr. Herath said it would be a turning point for the ruling party. “There are 161 members in the UPFA regime. Yet, there were only 112 voting in favour of the first regulation and 109 in favour of the second. This means that the government was unable to get a simple majority of 113. We see this as a turning

point,” he said.