JVP warns of ‘big explosion’ unless corruption is tackled

The JVP yesterday warned that there would be a ‘massive explosion’ unless the Rajapaksa administration stopped all of its corruption, waste and irregularities that had directly contributed the rising cost of living over the past two years.
Addressing a press conference at the National Library Services Board, JVP heavyweight Lal Kantha asserted that such an eventuality would be inevitable and would lead to the downfall of the government which the JVP helped to form. "President Rajapaksa will not survive," he said.
The Anuradhapura district MP said that the ongoing combined security forces campaign against the LTTE had forced them not to go all out against the government. He said that they were in a tight spot as the ground situation wasn’t conducive for a cohesive political campaign to force the government to its knees primarily due to the successful military campaign.
Responding to a query raised by The Island, Lal Kantha, the MP in charge of the JVP trade union sector, said that they could have easily undermined the administration. Acknowledging that they wouldn’t have hesitated to call a general strike to pressure the government, the MP said that the only reason which prevented that was the military campaign against the LTTE.
"We wouldn’t do anything to derail that," he said. He underscored their commitment to the ongoing efforts to militarily destroy the LTTE while guaranteeing that they wouldn’t engage in any political or a civil disobedience campaign that would help the LTTE or its ally the UNP. The people wouldn’t approve of an anti-government campaign at this stage. In fact, the people wouldn’t tolerate any action, they perceived as advantageous to the LTTE, now struggling on all fronts.
In reply to a second query by The Island, he emphasised the pivotal importance in defeating both LTTE terrorism and what he loosely called economic/financial terrorism. A case in point was the blatant manipulation of the local rice market, he said, asserting that the government was directly responsible for this situation. He said that financial terrorism was equally detrimental to the well being of the people, now struggling to survive the fallout of waste, corruption and irregularities.
He acknowledged that the JVP didn’t help the UNP to defeat the Budget last December as it would have automatically benefited the LTTE. Claiming that there was absolutely no purpose in helping the UNP to grab power, the outspoken MP claimed that an administration led by the JVP would be the answer but he admitted that the country wasn’t ready yet for that.