Internal Conflict of April 2008
The party had an internal conflict in April 2008, between the two factions of Wimal Weerawansa and the party leadership.
Party decided to suspend the membership of Wimal Weerawansa from March 21, 2008. As in the media reports Weerawansa had an argument with the leadership based on the disarmament of Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) political party which contesting in the country's Eastern provincial council elections May 2008 under the banner of ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA).
Piyasiri Wijenayake the JVP MP, accused opposition party UNP for conspirating against JVP, told at a media conference held at Nippon hotel Colombo on April 8, 2008. He added Ravi Karunanayake, a UNP MP who held a meeting with senior JVP leaders at his home as the main conspirator.
Piyasiri Wijenayake told BBC, the official vehicles of himself and Achala Suranga Jagoda another dissident JVP MP, forcefully removed by the group led by Jayanatha Wijesekara a JVP Trincomalee district MP.
The dissident Wimal Weerawansa group visited the most senior Buddhist monks of Asgiriya and Malwatte chapters on April 20, 2008 to get the blessings for their new political movement. Weerawansa again accused the UNP Kotte leader for the conspiracy against the JVP.
The breakaway group of ten JVP parliamentarians led by Wimal Weerawansa formed a new political party called Jathika Nidahas Peramuna (JNP). Party activities began on May 14, 2008 the same day in 1965 Rohana Wijeweera formed the JVP and also the day the LTTE killed 146 pilgrims during the Anuradhapura massacre at the Sri Maha Bodhi in 1985. The party leaders who addressed the inaugural ceremony at BMICH Colombo said, the new political party is an alternative to two main political parties UNP and SLFP but not for the JVP. On 2008 December Jathika Nidahas Peramuna joined the government. They claimed that the government should be supported in this moment as it is successfully fighting LTTE in the North. Then onward JNP sat with the government in parliament. JVP commenting on this issue blamed the government that though the LTTE problem is a critical issue it is not the only issue faced by the country and as the government mishandles many other problems. They further alleged that the rival members joined government on personal gain.
Read more about this topic: Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna
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