January 16, 2010

Siritunga addresses Jaffna people

Nakul Raj,
Jaffna District Organiser
USP

Siritunga addresses media in Jaffna

The United Socialist Party's presidential candidate, Siritunga Jayasuriya, was on a successful campaign tour to the North of Sri Lanka. His visit to Jaffna along with his party leaders was one of the crucial campaign visits during these elections. He held various street corner meetings (pocket meetings) in Jaffna town (near main Bus Stand), Chavakachcheri, Chundukuli, Chankani, Nelliadi, Kodikamam. All these meetings attracted reasonably good listeners taking the leaflets printed in Tamil. Siritunga held a press conference on the 12th of January at the "Udhayan Auditorium" in Jaffna. On the way back, a street meeting was organised in Vavunia. The literature of the USP on the elections did evoke interest among the readers.

In general, the USP had a good response from the people in Jaffna. However, one could see that the people in Jaffna did not have much interest in this presidential election as they feel that the main issues facing the Tamils are not at all addressed in this election by any of the two mainstream political parties, even after the end of thirty years of bloody war. They feel that the two main contenders, Mahinda and Fonseka, have nothing in common with the interests of the people of the North and the East of Sri Lanka, and have no plan or programme to solve the fundamental question of Nationality of the Tamils and Tamil speaking people. The people here feel completely offended and isolated from the rest of the people of the country.

In the USP campaign, Siritunga Jayasuriya stressed that only a genuine socialist programme accepting the right of self-determination of the Tamils living in the North and the East can build the trust between the Tamils and Sinhalese which should be the basis of solving the most burning issues facing the country today.  He pointed out that only a socialist programme can really unite the Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims for a harmonious future.