JVP on comeback trail after Weerawansa defection

By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema

The JVP's fifth national convention would be a politically decisive event for their dissident propaganda secretary Wimal Weerawansa, as the charges levelled against him by the party's Central Committee would for the first time be read out to the party membership.

Amidst efforts by Weerawansa's newly formed National Freedom Front (NFF) to sabotage the JVP's convention scheduled for Tuesday (27), the JVP's party machinery is in full swing to ensure the event would be one that would herald a new era for the party.

The convention that would be held under the theme of forming a wide public force to rebuild the country would see the formulation of the strategy to be adopted by the party in facing the current political challenges, especially given the internal crisis that has erupted in the party.

Agenda

First would be the appointment of a new Central Committee. The appointment of members to the politburo would follow.

Next on the agenda is the formulation of party strategy to face the challenges before the party after taking into consideration the present political scenario. It is during this time that the present crisis faced by the party too would be taken up for discussion.

It is learned that the JVP's internal crisis would be taken up for discussion along with the charges levelled against the party's dissident propaganda secretary and parliamentary group leader, Wimal Weerawansa. Through the open discussion on the charges presented by the Central Committee the party is to also decide on the actions to be instituted against Weerawansa as well as the other dissident members.

However, the charges levelled against Weerawansa initially by the Central Committee have now been increased following his defection from the party. Acting against the party's ideology and policies, taking internal party issues out into the open, making a statement on internal party issues in parliament and factionalising the party are some of the new charges that have been added onto the already existing charges.

Serious allegations

JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe has already said there were serious allegations, including some relating to financial irregularities against Weerawansa.

JVP sources have told The Sunday Leader that disciplinary action had to be taken against Weerawansa for several reasons including his alleged 'deals' with the government.

Weerawansa was given several opportunities to reply to the charges levelled against him. Amarasinghe had himself submitted the charges against Weerawansa as they were of a very serious nature. The Central Committee had then met on February 26 to discuss the allegations against Weerawansa, but he wanted more time and was granted time until March 1 to submit an explanation.

When the committee met on March 7, Weerawansa had not turned up. The committee then had another meeting on March 17 to discuss the charges against him but once again Weerawansa played truant.

A committee comprising Tilvin Silva, Chandrasena Wijesinghe and K.D. Lalkantha was appointed to hear Weerawansa's case. However, Weerawansa avoided making any explanation to clear his name.

Instead, he chose to make an open statement in parliament and defect from the party. Eleven other JVP parliamentarians pledged their support to him initially. However, one Parliamentarian, Sujatha Alahakoon later returned to the main party fold stating she was misled into joining the group.

The party's final decision on Weerawansa would be arrived at the convention on Tuesday.

New appointments are also to be made to the posts previously held by Weerawansa - propaganda secretary and the leader of the Colombo District committee.

The names of the new appointees to the posts are to be presented to the gathering by the newly formed Central Committee for approval.

Apart from the political strategies the party would adopt following the convention, the most important issue would be the fact that May 27 would also be a politically decisive day for Weerawansa.

Invited

The JVP it is learned has invited Weerawansa and the other defectors to attend the convention. In fact, the invitations have been sent via registered post to Weerawansa and his group. It is yet unknown if Weerawansa and co. would attend the convention.

However, the JVP convention has become a threat to Weerawansa and the allies of the newly formed NFF. The reason being the fear that the JVP leadership would along with the charges against Weerawansa, place before its membership confessions made in writing by Weerawansa months before defecting from the party.

The Sunday Leader reliably learns that the JVP leadership was in possession of several letters, some written by Weerawansa himself and one by his wife, Shirsha "Sashi" Udayanthi to the party. Some of the contents of these letters it is learned, justifies some of the charges levelled against Weerawansa while another letter written by him was a self critical one.

Self-criticism is a tradition adopted by the party since its inception where members present self-critical letters to the party leadership whenever they have been accused of violating party discipline.

Weerawansa, who is well aware of the implications that would follow if the party leadership made public the contents of the documents, has put several plans in motion to prevent any such eventuality.

For this purpose, he has so far used many tactics, from making several requests to the party through various individuals to even exerting pressure on the party through its international branch network.

The first step taken by Weerawansa was to make a statement during a political interview that the letters written by him confessing to some of the charges levelled against him were in fact ones that have been doctored.

Doctored

Since Weerawansa claimed the letters to have been doctored, the assumption then would be that he had no reason to fear them being publicised. However, with convention day getting closer, Weerawansa seems to have become more nervous.

The JVP's branch in Japan, with which Weerawansa has formed a link through one Saman Priyankara also known as Japan Saman, last week in a letter to JVP Secretary Tilvin Silva said the Japan Branch has decided to withdrawn its support to the JVP and align itself with the NFF.

Organiser of the Japan Branch Saman Priyankara has said that the members unanimously agreed that since they no longer had faith in the JVP it has been unanimously decided to support the Weerawansa led NFF.

 "The party which took correct decisions till the 2005 presidential election under the leadership of comrade Somawansa Amarasinghe seems to have gone astray in recent times with the so-called leaders in the party who are no better than the 'frogs in the well' trying to overrule the entire party and especially using comrade Amarasinghe as a puppet who simply recites those leaders' commands," he has said.

However, the real motive behind Priyankara's letter was in the next few paragraphs.

Picking up cudgels

Priyankara has said that members gave written self-criticisms to the party with 'deep faith' and to publicise it to achieve vested interests would be a low thing to do.

 "We do not understand what you are expecting by publicising a self-criticism apparently handed over by the party's propaganda secretary locally and internationally. It is a pity that you do not understand that it is you who are putting yourself on the spot by engaging in such a low activity and the rest of the world would despise such an act," Priyankara has said.

He has also added that the question had now arisen if any member would extend a self-criticism to the party in future given the actions of the party leadership. These words in Priyankara's letter stands testimony to the fact that Weerawansa was going full steam to prevent the contents of the letter from being placed before the party membership at the convention.

Defunct

The decision of the JVP's  Japan Branch has further implicated Weerawansa's role in the whole scheme of things.

The Sunday Leader learns that the JVP had dissolved its branch in Japan about four years ago. Hence, for the past four years, the party had not had any branch committee in Japan.

Priyankara however, was the organiser of the branch committee when it was operational four years ago. Since its dissolution, Priyankara has kept in touch with the party on an individual level and more so with Weerawansa.

Therefore, it has been alleged by the JVP that the latest episode was more a Weerawansa act than any other.

Loyal

The JVP's main funding sources, which are its branches in Europe, especially in the UK, remain loyal to the party. Party members in those countries have been informed of Weerawansa's defection and the reasons behind it, including the charges levelled against him.

Weerawansa however has done his best to convince the NFF allies that it was he who shed light on the JVP.

As for the question if there has been any real damage caused to the JVP with Weerawansa's departure, the party's response has been that he was only the voice of the party that conveyed the decisions and policies of the party to the membership and the country.

The party's reaction to the so-called 'patriotic front' formed by the dissident group was that it was hypocritical to criticise foreign capitalistic powers while protecting their local agents.

Politburo member Vijitha Herath was quoted stating that the JVP was aware that there was a conspiracy within the party for quite some time. "While violating the policies, ethics and regulations of the party, Weerawansa worked in cahoots with their local agents to destroy the party and carried out their agenda. Now they have come out and work openly though the people in the country know well as to who protects the capitalists and who carries forward the people's struggle. This group is covering the sins of the imperialistic and capitalistic policies of the present government while the JVP is fighting it; that is different between the so called fronts and the JVP," he has said.

No vacuum

Party front-liner Anura Kumara Dissanayake responding to the formation of the NFF questioned as to the new party's real motive. He said there was no vacuum in the country's political platform for the NFF to fill.

He added that the only objective of the party would be to support the government.

According to the JVP, Weerawansa has now become a voice of the government, doing its bidding.

It has been alleged that Weerawansa who now enjoys the perks and privileges of a government minister was working according to the government's agenda.

Weerawansa and his group of defectors have openly called for state patronage. JVP defector, Parliamentarian Achala Jagoda on a parliament letterhead has written to Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister Karu Jayasuriya to provide him with a house in the government owned Summit Flats.

Since the defection, Weerawansa has made several statements to indicate an erosion in the JVP's vote base - the most recent being the statement made following the Eastern Provincial Council polls.

Weerawansa said that the JVP vote base has seen a decline as the party that secured over 11,000 votes in the Ampara district alone in the last general election had this time managed to secure only 9,000 odd votes from the whole province.

However, the JVP has responded to Weerawansa's statement by saying that it was one that was made in support of the government.

Supporting the government

According to the JVP, the results of the Eastern Provincial Council cannot be taken into consideration as it cannot be considered an election given the large scale rigging and corruption involved.

Weerawansa's statement therefore was one that was made indirectly in support of the government and justifying the manner in which it was conducted, the JVP has said.

The party has challenged Weerawansa time and again to come out with details to back his allegations - the party being led by several conspirators and slaves of an imperialist agenda. Weerawansa however has so far shied away from taking up the challenge.

The JVP on Tuesday, in front of thousands of party members, would show Weerawansa's true nature when the charges levelled against him would be read out in the open, insiders say.

The party's parliamentarians, members from the provincial councils and local government bodies and representatives from the district committees are expected to participate at the event that is to be held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium.

The convention

The ceremonial opening will be at 9 a.m. and will continue till 1 p.m. Official work is scheduled to commence at 2 p.m.

The JVP has expressed full confidence in the convention being a success.

According to the JVP, the hallmark of the party was that from the very outset it accomplished something that no other left party in Sri Lanka has done - it produced revolutionaries who amidst many challenges sacrificed wholly their lives for the working class.

Amarasinghe has said that there are no 'I's in his party but 'we's and any declaration represents the collective stand.

"The party was not destroyed in 1971 or 1989. There were detractors in the past too like Dharmasekara and Vijitha Lal who gave evidence against Wijeweera. But the party survived. Today certain rogues have come forward to talk about the JVP. Pretty soon they will be exposed. The truth will be victorious ultimately," Amarasinghe said.

Come Tuesday - the Somawansa Amarasinghe led JVP's first ever convention without Weerawansa in tow - will allow the public to see for itself which group of the red brethren are holding the cards of popular support and longevity, and which side is likely to fade into political oblivion.