| group of JVP veterans including Lionel Bopage and Kelly Senanayake who defected from the party from time to time have now teamed up to support Opposition Common Candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka at the upcoming presidential election. These ex-JVPers have formed an organization called the ‘People’s Forum’ to campaign for Gen. Fonseka. Mr. Senanayake told the Daily Mirror yesterday these JVP veterans did not join any political party after their defection from the party in the past but had now united to unseat PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa at the upcoming election. “That can be done only by supporting the candidature of Gen. Fonseka. We have taken this decision in the interests of the country. After we broke ranks with the JVP, we remained politically neutral. However, we have worked for certain non-partisan social movements,” he said. He said Mr. Bopage who now lives in Australia will campaign for Gen. Fonseka while remaining there. Mr. Senanayake was the 26th accused of the 1971 JVP insurrection while the 25th accused was Minister Mahinda Wijesekara. After serving a jail term till December 1976, he was instrumental in revamping the party with party stalwarts like Upatissa Gamanayake, Rohana Wijeweera and present leader Somawansa Amarasinghe. |
