President Maithripala Sirisena led Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe led United National Party, former MP Dinesh Gunawardena led Joint Opposition Party comprising a section of several SLFP members including former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and those non- SLFP United People’s Freedom Alliance(UPFA), Opposition Leader Sampanthan’s Tamil National Alliance, MP Anura Kumara Dissanayaka led Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, Lanka Sama Samaja Party(LSSP) and hundreds of trade unions will celebrate May Day today.
Whether this year’s May Day would demonstrate the power of the people or the power battle between key political groups and individuals, or would it display another day in which people’s conditions would be taken for granted may be understood later.
The Sri Lankan Freedom Party (SLFP) is all keyed up to hold its May Day rally in Getambe Kandy. SLFP-led UPFA’s General Secretary and Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said their rally would be the one that would have drawn the largest number of political party leaders and masses in the country.
Amaraweera also predicted that tomorrows ( today’s ) May Day rally organized by the Joint Opposition would be rejected by the people as it had been organized with a sinister plan to cause a division in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.
He also said they would be displaying banners and hoardings of President Maithripala Sirisena in their demonstrations as he is the leader and the President of the party.
Since it was the United People’s Freedom Front that had arranged to hold the Joint Opposition’s May Day rally at the Galle Face Green in Colombo, it would be more appropriate for them to carry banners and hoardings of Prof. G. L. Peiris.
Meanwhile, the United National Party (UNP) says that its May Day is held with a focus to raise the income and the salaries of the workers, which we think is more important than all other matters considered. We do so at a time when the Joint Opposition members say that it would be foolish to increase the salaries of government servants. UNP General Secretary and Minister Kabir Hashim said Join Opposition member Udaya Gammanpila had said so.
“Nevertheless, when the Joint Opposition requested that they be given Galle Face Green to hold its May Day rally, UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe gave it to them without hesitation, so that they may fill it to their heart’s content, as they have already prided themselves saying,” said Hashim.
“As far as the UNP is concerned, our May Day rally is dedicated to people on the winning track,” said Hashim,” It is for the people who gain and people who want a change. We are at the ready to support such people.”
Joint Opposition member Udaya Gammanpila said they decided to hold their May Day rally at the Gall Face Ground, which is eight times larger than the SLFP’s selection of Gatembe grounds in Kandy, for holding their rally and five times larger than the UNP selection at the Campbell Grounds, Colombo, for holding theirs, because they have the fullest confidence of the people that they will throng not in thousands, but in hundred-thousands to Gall Face to demonstrate their opposition to the government .
“This is the confidence we have in the people that they will throng in such huge numbers to Galle Face, to display their opposition to this oppressive and unpatriotic government,” said Gammanpila.
“We host the May Rally under the theme, “May Day Rally for Protecting Motherland, Workeing Class and Rice- Paddy Fields,”he said.
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna(JVP) will hold its May Day rally at the the BRC Grounds in Colombo. JVP says it focuses on giving the message of the importance of defeating the imperialist interventions and the capitalist movement that have been inhumanely burdening the working people of the country with such huge debts.
The JVP political panel said they would spotlight the fact the country’s capitalist political parties have been unable to and would not be able to create anything for the benefit of its people at their rally.
The Tamil National Alliance’s (TNA’s ) May Day Rally will be held in Akkaraipattu in Ampara. The Nawa Sama Samaja Party has organised its rally at Price Park in Gunasinghapura. The LSSP will hold its rally at Ananda Samarakoon Grounds in Nugegoda, while the Communist Party will hold its rally at the Viharamaha Devi Park in Colombo.