JVP will field presidential candidate if 20-A falls through – Lal Kantha

K D Lalkantha

The JVP would be compelled to field its own presidential candidate if it failed to secure the passage of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, JVP politburo member and trade union wing leader KD Lalkantha said.

Addressing a meeting, at Medawachchiya, on Friday, Lalkantha said: “We have not given up our struggle to get the 20th Amendment to the Constitution passed in Parliament. It is our hope that there won’t be another presidential election.

“Both President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe promised, in 2015, that they would abolish the executive presidency. I do not think that people will believe in their promises any longer. Both the President and Prime Minister are planning to hold another presidential election and dreaming of securing the presidency. In the meantime, we are trying to get the 20th Amendment passed in Parliament. If this situation continues, then we will make the next Presidential polls a three-cornered fight by fielding our own candidate. There would be a JVP candidate against UNP and SLFP candidates.

“It is crystal clear that Prime Minister Wickremesinghe will never win a presidential election. Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa cannot contest.

“There are leading political characters are behind drug lords. The drug menace started in this country thanks to politicians. Since this is an election year, the politicians have started a pseudo-war against drugs. The ultimate goal of that war against drugs is to win votes.”

(Source: The Island – By Percy Kuruneru)