Sri Lanka Socialist Challenger Siritunga Jayasuriya's Campaign Rally Attacked
By Campaign Team - USP
22 December, 2014
Countercurrents.org
Socialist Challenger candidate in Sri Lanka Presidential election, Siritunga's Potthuvil election rally attacked as hundreds throng to listen!
This Presidential elections in Sri Lanka is already turning into a veritable battle field, where the mighty and powerful make the news,but the meek and grass roots activist parties are trampled upon.
Socialist Challenger, candidate Siritunga Jayasuriya of United Socialist Party,who stands on a radical socialist transitional programme is encountering not only open threats on his life and against his uncompromising electioneering campaign, but also has to deal with thedirect and and indirect apathy of the state and its bureaucracy in implementing its own statutes for a "free & fair"poll.
In his campaign tour to the east, dogged with inclement weather and heavy down pour, the very many meetings that were planned had to be given up. As we write this, Siritunga's election campaign team is stranded near Batticoloa, with all roads flooded. But inthe places where meetings could be held, in spite of the difficulties hundreds are gathering to listen to the Socialist Programme by Siritunga and other comrades.
On 20thof December at Wellawaya town, braving the bad weather around 500people turned upto hear the comrades who were addressing gathering from a make shift Van turned Election Stage. Local organiser Sumith Kumara,USP's Chairperson Srinath Perera and General Secretary cum Presidential Candidate Siritunga addressed the people.
But the campaign faced an unexpected threat-attack in Potthuvil, an Eastern town which is predominantly Tamil Speaking Muslim brethren. A certain thug by name Majid, who heads the local unit of the SLFP, came with a lorry load of goons to disrupt the meeting which was organised legally , with all the formalities done informing the election authorities and the local administration. USP's local organisers had laboured few days before to canvass for the rally on 21st in the town of Potthuvil. The USP is well known here, as it had taken up mass relief work during the unfortunate
infamous Tsunami days.
The local party comrades, built a human shield around the Stage and safe guarded the speakers, including Siritunga.Comrade Siritunga kicked up a ruckus with the administration on phone, the Deputy General of Police was summoned to the spot to deal with the situation. The cowardly SLFP thugs, fled the scene after seeing the mass support to the USP and Siritunga.
In the meanwhile around 1000people gathered for the rally and heard Cde, Siri with rapt attention, dozens if not hundreds came forward to Hug & Kiss Siritunga for the courageous stands that the party had taken on behalf of the Muslims and Tamils in the recent period.
Many remembered the Darga Town march of 26th July, against the Bodu Bala Sena Racist attacks. On that day many of the USP comrades were grievously injured by the Racist Buddhist Monks and lumpen communal thugs.
While the United Socialist Party unequivocally condemns the thuggery of the SLFP led goons, but also takes into account the complete apathy of the administration in failing to provide the opportunity to conduct free and fair election proceedings.
Sri Lanka is passing through a prolonged crisis both politically and socially. Democracy is a misnomer, even the exercise of electoral machine is a mere window dressing. While the two main Capitalist camps of Mahinda & Maithripala enjoy the money, power and prestige to practise their pretentious "Democracy". Ordinary working people are terrorised by their paid goons for venturing to even listen to the radical and alternative voices in this country.
Still two weeks to go the election date on 8thJanuary, this may turn out to be one of the bloodiest elections inthe history of this Island.
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