JVP Politburo Member K.D. Lal Kantha yesterday said that the government increased the prices of vehicles because the country's foreign reserves were depleting and the country lacks dollars.

Speaking at the Ceylon Postal Workers' Union Annual General Meeting yesterday, Lal Kantha said that importation of vehicles was depleting the foreign reserves even faster.

The government lacks funds to pay back its debts and therefore has to plead for further debts and grants, he added.

Although much publicity is given to the warm welcome accorded to President Sirisena at the G-7 outreach summit, his purpose was to ask for even more loans, Lal Kantha also claimed.

National Trade Union Centre Chairman and JVP Politburo Member K.D. Lal Kantha said that the government will have to face a massive general strike if it signs the Economic and Trade Cooperation Agreement with India.

Speaking at a press conference today, Lal Kantha said that the government was wrong in hitting out at the GMOA and other professional bodies for their opposition on ETCA.

If the government decides to sign the agreement without heeding to the opposition of these organizations, it will alienate the professionals in the country and will have to face a massive strike.

The JVP also reiterated its opposition regarding the proposed ETCA with India.

JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake today said that the government acted in an arbitrary manner at the outset of constitutional reform in introducing the resolution on the Constitutional Assembly.

Speaking at a press conference today, he said that the constitution should changed according to the Standing Orders.

However, the Prime Minister has violated standing orders to a considerable extent in proposing the resolution, he added.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday proposed the resolution to convert the Parliament to a Constitutional Assembly to draft a new constitution. However, opponents have argued that it should be drafter through a Standing Committee.

JVP Political Bureau Member K. D. Lal Kantha called upon UPFA Ministers in government to resign from their ministerial portfolios and vote against the budget, since it does not recognize people’s aspirations.

“Pension for workers of the public sector is to be abolished. Workers who join government services after the 1st January, 2016 would not receive the current pension. A monthly sum would be reduced from their salary according to newly proposed pension scheme” Lal Kantha pointed out speaking to Asian Mirror.

We call on the so called ‘public representatives’ to vote against this budget. We ask Parliament Ministers of UPFA to resign from their posts and oppose it. We call upon the working people to stand with us opposing this budget”, Lal Kantha said.

Furthermore, he said that the demand for the Rs.2500 salary increment for private sector once again has been discarded.

JVP Parliamentarian Sunil Handunnetti lashed out at Arjuna Ranatunga, stating that he has changed after being appointed as a Minister.

Speaking at a meeting this morning, Handunnetti said that the Ports and Shipping Minister was planning to construct a new wing to the Official bungalow at an estimated cost of Rs 3.9 million.

Handunetti asked if constructing a new wing to the official bungalow was the most urgent issue in ports and shipping sector.

Ranatunga, who once fought for good governance has now started to betray the principles he once stood for, Handunnetti further maintained.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has made plans to make George Soros a main investor of the country’s economy, JVP leader Anura Dissanayake said.

Dissanayake added that Soros was the man behind the economic downfall of France in 1989. The JVP leader made these remarks addressing the party’s 26th November heroes’ commemoration.

He also said that Wickremesinghe’s mid-term economic policy, which was presented to parliament recently, was failing the country.

“Under his government, former president Mahinda Rajapaksa invited the casino king James Packer to Sri Lanka as an investor”, Dissanayake added.

Furthermore, Dissanayake said that Wickremesinghe is making plans to sell off the properties under the Sri Lankan Hotel Cooperation, including Lanka Hospitals.

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Wednesday (21) stressed that a special parliament debate should be held on the Avant-Garde floating armoury case.

Speaking in the parliament, Dissanayake further said that following such a debate, a parliamentary select committee also could be appointed to look into the matter.

Dissanayake also said that Deputy Solicitor General Wasantha Navaratna Bandara, during a meeting where the Prime Minister was also in attendance, had asserted that a criminal case could be filed against Avant-Garde floating armoury, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, Firearms Ordinance and Explosives Act.

During the same meeting, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said that cases should not be filed based on the Prevention of Terrorism Act, since the government has reservations on it, Dissanayake recalled.

Dissanayake questioned the Attorney General's statement that the investigations on floating armoury could only be conducted under the Money Laundering Act, saying that the AG is trying to withdraw the criminal cases that could be filed.

However, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe maintained that the AG has not been influenced by political authorities. The AG did not order the suspension of investigations, Wickremasighe claimed.

The Supreme Court today ordered the IGP to pay compensation on behalf of the state, to two JVP members, who were arrested on January 12, 2009, in Dematagoda.

The JVP members, Joseph Silva and Chandrasena Hettiarachchi from Borella, were arrested while they were pasting posters, during a JVP poster campaign demanding an immediate stop to attacks on media.

Demotagoda Police had arrested them on the grounds that their posters were ilegal.

A three member bench comprised of Justice Priyasath Dep, Justice Sisira de Abrew and Justice Anil Gunaratne gave the decision on a Fundamental Rights petition filed by the two JVP members and directed that their fundamental rights have been infringed. The IGP was ordered to pay compensation of Rs 25,000 each to the petitioners.

JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said that the government has to ensure the protection of human rights of the citizens of the country, so that the international community could not intervene any further.

Speaking at a press conference today, he said that there was still some confusion on hybrid court and international participation. Even though the government says that a hybrid court will not be established, it also says of obtaining international assistance. What the government should do is to introduce new laws and strengthen the judiciary. Sri Lanka already has a competent judiciary which can probe the past human rights violations, Silva said.

He pointed out that there were political prisoners still in the island. The question of the disappeared was also there. These questions should also be addressed, Silva said, pointing out that unnecessary delays to do so will pave way for further international involvement.

Silva also lashed out at the Rajapaksa government for not acting on the human rights issues when it should have. This paved way for the international community to interfere in Sri Lanka's matters, he said. 

JVP MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa yesterday slammed the media as well as the Acting Police Media Spokesperson on their conduct regarding the recent murder of a five-year-old girl in Kotadeniyawa.

Taking part in the ‘Vaada Pitiya’ political talk show on TV Derana, Jayatissa said that the media and the Police Media Spokesman acted without any regard for the presumption of innocence.

Even the Police spoke as if these suspects had indeed committed the crime, he said.

Furthermore, Jayatissa said that the rising rate of crime can be controlled only by removing the root causes. Introducing capital punishment is not the best strategy, he argued.