JVP says people should vote for their real McCoy and not old wines in new bottles

Anyone wishing for a real change should not vote for the candidates from the two main parties but Anura Kumara Dissanayake, says JVP Propaganda Secretary MP Vijitha Herath.

Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, yesterday, Herath said that candidates from the main parties had nothing new to offer and could not take the country in a new direction.

“Look at those the main candidates have surrounded themselves with. It would be nothing but old wine in new bottles if they are elected. They lack vision to take the country forward,” the MP said.

Herath said that the country since Independence had been ruled for 71 years by the UNP and SLFP. “We were in the second place in Asia at the time of independence. The per capita income of Japan was 90 dollars and ours was 89 dollars. All other South Asian countries were far below us. But during the 71 year rule we lost all. Today our loans amount to 83 per cent of GDP. At the moment our loans to other countries stands at 12,000,000 million rupees. Our loan installment alone last year was 5,450 million rupees. It was the UNP and SLFP that ruled the country by turns. Most recently they ruled the country together.

“Today we are at a crossroads and the people have the chance to decide which direction they want to go. The SLFP has chosen SLPP’s Gotabaya Rajapaksa as their candidate while the UNP has chosen UNF candidate Sajith Premadasa. They are not new. Just take a look at the politicians supporting them. They were the ministers and MPs who ruined our economy in recent years. Some of them are rogues who should be in jails,” Herath said.

Herath said that presidential candidate Dissanayake would release the latter’s policy statement on Oct 26 at an event to be held at the Waters Edge in Battaramulla.

MP Herath said that extracts of the policy statement would be released in stages at different locations.

Asked how it proposed to secure the support of minority parties, MP Herath said that his party had unofficial talks with the TNA and some TNA members had expressed interest in supporting Dissanayake at the Presidential election.

He said that 50 main rallies would be held in main cities and 3,425 pocket meetings would be held covering all villages in the country.

(Source: The Island – By Saman Indrajith)