Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- [Via Communist Internet... http://www.egroups.com/group/Communist-Internet ] . . ----- Original Message ----- From: Charles F. Moreira <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: MLL <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, August 12, 2001 6:21 PM Subject: [MLL] Reds call the shots in Sri Lanka political crisis Comrades, The last two paragraphs of this story isn't all that great but this is an interesting development anyway. Charles http://www.malaysiakini.com/Foreign/2001/08/2001081208.php3 www.malaysiakini.com ONLY THE NEWS THAT MATTERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- FOREIGN Sunday August 12 Reds call the shots in Sri Lanka political crisis Amal Jayasinghe 4:55pm, Sun: COLOMBO (AFP) - Sri Lanka's Marxists, who have failed twice to seize power, have become the country's most potent political force offering a life-line to beleaguered President Chandrika Kumaratunga, political sources said today. The radical JVP, or People's Liberation Front, which tried to overthrow the government of prime minister Sirima Bandaranaike in 1971, is now is holding talks to help a salvage a shaky coalition of her daughter, Kumaratunga. The JVP said their talks last Friday with President Kumaratunga resulted in most of their demands being met by her and they agreed to continue a dialogue on other matters. Sri Lanka's unprecedented political crisis was triggered when seven Muslim allies walked out of Kumaratunga's government turning her administration into a minority in the 225-member parliament on June 20. Battling to prevent a humiliating defeat of her nine-month old government, Kumaratunga shut down parliament until Sept 7. But she is now running out of time. Political sources said Kumaratunga will have no choice but to swallow a bitter pill and cut a deal with the Marxists to at least remain in power for another year promising the reforms demanded by the reds. "It is very easy to negotiate with the JVP," President Kumaratunga told business leaders at a meeting here on Thursday. "They don't waver their stand and it is up to us whether we want to accept what they say or not." Sweeping democratic reforms The JVP is insisting that the right-wing government halt its ambitious privatisation plan, stop the Norwegian-backed peace bid, reduce the number of cabinet portfolios from 45 to 20 and introduce sweeping democratic reforms. "What we say is that if you can't put a full stop in the Norwegian process, at least mark a comma," JVP spokesman and their parliamentary group leader Wimal Weerawansa said. The JVP's 10 seats in parliament have given the party more power than it ever wielded with guns and bullets in 1971 and their second insurrection which lasted from 1987 to 1990. President Kumaratunga's mother, Prime Minister Bandaranaike crushed the first JVP uprising within a week that saw some 20,000 people killed by police and security forces. The second JVP insurrection saw at least 6,000 main stream politicians killed by the JVP. Security forces and pro-government vigilante groups killed some 60,000 people according to a report by European parliamentarians. The JVP said it wants to subject Kumaratunga's government to a "one-year probation period" to introduce sweeping reforms and then go for early elections. Political sources said President Kumaratunga has asked for more time to agree on the JVP's conditions. Marx, Lenin and Engels It will be easier for the government to accept the JVP demand to stop privatisation given the poor economic conditions in the troubled island and the predicament of having no takers for what is offered for sale. The government promised the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that it will raise 275 million dollars in privatisation proceeds this year, but the plan has gone haywire due to a lack of takers. The prospect of the JVP's entry into a new coalition could have an added dimension for the economic crisis. Campaigning at the October elections, the JVP put on a colourful display with red flags and decorative floats of Marx, Lenin and Engels paraded around the country to promote a socialist message tempered with free-market realities. >From a position of die-hard leftist ideology and an anti-western stance, the JVP has recently began preaching private ownership of property and vowing to propagate the colonial game of cricket. Sri Lankans are cricket crazy. With a government propped up by the JVP, it will be the JVP's turn to call all the shots. Last modified:Sunday August 12, 5:00 pm Close window (c) Copyright Malaysiakini.com _______________________________________________ Marxist-Leninist-List mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxist-leninist-list ------------------------------------------------- This Discussion List is the follow-up for the old stopnato @listbot.com that has been shut down ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9spWA Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: archive@jab.org T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
