Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna General Secretary Tilvin Silva said that the forthcoming Presidential Election will not be a fair race as President Mahinda Rajapaksa has already started the race and run half way through.

He made these comments at the 25th Il Maha Viru Samaruwa, commemorating the fallen heroes including founder leader of the JVP Rohana Wijeweera. The former JVP leader was killed in unclear circumstances on November 13, 1989, after being arrested by security forces at the closing days of an armed rebellion by the JVP.

Tilvin Silva said that any race should have a proper starting point and a starting whistle. However, the person who has to draw the line and blow the whistle, the Elections Commissioner, is still nowhere to be seen. No other candidate has come forward as well. Nevertheless the President has started running and completed half the race, Silva argued.

While the opposition parties are trying to field a common candidate, who is still to be decided, the JVP has recently distanced itself from the ‘common candidate’ project. It says that the election itself has to be opposed, rather than trying to find a common candidate. In that context, many assumed that the Marxist party would boycott the presidential election. But the JVP decided to take part in the common opposition's rally on Wednesdya , which was organized against the Executive Presidency. 

However, in his speech, the JVP General Secretary did not make his position clear on 'boycott plans',of the JVP.