Broad alliance to be formed for key elections

Sunday, 01 December 2013 

A broad political alliance is to be formed to face key elections that area expected to be held next year.

It is learnt that discussions are currently underway to for a broad alliance that would bring together Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka.

This broad coalition is looking at forming the alliance in time for the next key national election and is to present the common candidate at the next Presidential election.

The name of the common candidate is to be made public when the Presidential election is announced.

However, the JVP has not yet joined the discussions at a formal level.

Farmers in loin cloths in Colombo tomorrow

 Sunday, 01 December 2013 

Farmers in loin cloths are to take to the streets in Colombo tomorrow (2) to protest against the 2014 Budget.

Farmers’ associations have organized the protest in Colombo with the participation of farmers from several districts against the government’s failure to provide solutions to their long standing problems in the 2014 Budget.

The All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation has said that a protest will be held tomorrow in Fort, Colombo as a symbol of the massive protest campaign being organized by farmers’ associations in island wide against the 2014 Budget.

National Organizer of the Federation, Namal Karunaratne has said that farmers wearing loincloths will protest in the Colombo streets and distribute leaflets to create awareness about the issues faced by the farmers in the country.

He explained that the protest in Colombo on the 2nd will be the beginning of a series of protests carried out by farmers against the failure to address their issues in the 2014 Budget.

An alliance of farmers’ associations had submitted a set of six proposals to the government to be included in the 2014 Budget that would address the issues faced by the farmers around the country, but the government had not included them in the budget, Karunaratne said.