The United National Party (UNP) will hold its May day rally today morning at the Sugathadasa indoor stadium under the auspices of its leader, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The rally will be held on the theme ‘New life for a matured leadership’ with the attendance of UNP Ministers, parliamentarians and party members. The party will not be holding a May Day procession this year UNP sources said.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) May Day rally themed ‘Promoting Reconciliation and Inter-Communal Harmony’ will be held in Chenkalady, Batticaloa tomorrow under the auspices of SLFP Leader President Maithripala Sirisena and other party stalwarts. According to party Vice President, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, the SLFP rally this year would be the initial step of uniting all factions of the party holding dissenting views and heralding a new era for the SLFP. The Minister said the 16 SLFP MPs who recently quit the Government have also pledged to participate in the rally.
While the SLFP will be celebrating the day in the Eastern province, the Joint Opposition (JO) May Day rally will take to the Southern province by holding their rally at the Samanala grounds, Galle tomorrow, led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa with the participation of all other constituent parties.The supporters of the SLPP right across from the North to the South will participate in the rally, Joint Opposition (JO) frontliner and United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Ratnapura District MP Ranjith de Zoysa told the Sunday Observer.
He said the rally will be used as a platform to protest against the Government’s moves to sell national resources, rising inflation and political victimisation. Meanwhile, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna will hold its second May Day rally for the year in Colombo tomorrow. The party had earlier held a rally on May 1 in Jaffna defying the government’s decision to postpone International Workers Day celebrations.
The May Day procession of the party will commence, led by its party leaders, from Campbell Park at 1.00 p.m. going on to gather at the BRC ground for its rally. The Jathika Hela Urumaya will also be holding a May Day rally which will commence from the Colombo Public Library at 9.00 a.m. tomorrow. It’s party members will gather at the Colombo New Town Hall where Anagarika Dharmapala and Trade unionist E.A. Gunasinghe will be commemorated.A
