Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) Propaganda Secretary Duminda Nagamuwa has said that establishment of self- governing regions, bicameral legislature consisting of two Houses and recognition of upcountry Tamils as Sri Lankans would be necessary to solve the national issue. Nagamuwa declared that the FSP was ready to spearhead the fight to achieve those objectives.

Nagamuwa, a senior member of the breakaway faction of the JVP, said so at the fourth annual convention of the party held at the Sugathadasa Indoor stadium on Sunday (01). Nagamuwa stressed that a bicameral legislature was necessary to prevent the passage of laws targeting a particular community.

Alleging that the JVP had disregarded the FSP’s advice not to pursue UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s strategy, Nagamuwa emphasised that the national problem couldn’t be resolved under the present system.

Declaring that daunting challenges couldn’t be addressed by pursuing neo-liberal policies, the FSPer reiterated their commitment to, what he called, a people-centric economic agenda.

At the onset of his speech, Nagamuwa said that the FSP launched political activities, under extremely difficult circumstances, more than one and half decades ago. Referring to the abduction and the disappearance of Lalith Kumar Weeraraja and Kugan Muruganandan, in Jaffna, on Dec, 9, 2011, Nagamuwa said that they wouldn’t give up their struggle, regardless of the continuing threats.

Commenting on its role in the Aragalaya protest that forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa out of office, in July 2022, Nagamuwa said that the FSP joined the people at a time some declared their inability to participate in a leaderless campaign. Nagamuwa was referring to the JVP’s initial reaction to the protest campaign. According to Nagamuwa, Ranil Wickremesinghe, having received the presidency through illegal means, sought to proscribe the FSP as he resented their role in Aragalaya.

Nagamuwa also found fault with the JVP for backing Maithripala Sirisena’s candidature at the 2015 presidential election. The ex-JVPer said that his former party simply joined the group that declared that Sirisena’s victory would pave the way for the abolition of the executive presidency. The FSP Propaganda Secretary accused Anura Kumara Dissanayake of following Wickremesinghe’s harmful IMF policy that may cause significant damage to the EPF and ETF funds.

The FSP also attacked the JVP-led NPP government over the ongoing moves to introduce a new anti-terrorism law, in place of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). That move was meant to suppress democratic rights of the people and right to dissent, Nagamuwa said, while questioning, what he called, the incumbent government’s undisclosed agreements with the US and India. Nagamuwa also pointed out that those who campaigned on an anti-corruption platform were now struggling to cope up with such accusations regarding the coal procurement deal.

Nagamuwa said that either the government should take tangible measures against corruption or the crooks will take hold of the current dispensation. Anti-corruption actions wouldn’t be on political platform at any future election, Nagamuwa predicted.

Nagamuwa said that the NPP had been fragmented and it was only a question of time the current dispensation faced public protests over its policies, particularly giving in to IMF demands and India. The SJB’s Sajith Premadasa and SLPP’s Namal Rajapaksa couldn’t fill the political vacuum caused by the disintegration of the NPP, Nagamuwa said that their move was to empower the people.

Nagamuwa said that those who propagated racism to grab power couldn’t succeed again. According to him such projects couldn’t achieve political objectives, Nagamuwa said while referring to several incidents, including the burning of the Jaffna library and violence in Darga town.

By Shamindra Ferdinando