JVP dissidents said today that they would commemorate the 22nd death anniversary of the party’s founder leader Rohana Wijeweera in the hope that Sri Lanka’s leftist movement should be rebuilt from zero.

Addressing a press conference organised by the Heroes Commemorative Committee formed by the dissidents, politburo member Senadheera Gunatilake alias Opatha said that Mr. Wijeweera, on the brink of the defeat of the armed struggle in 1988/89, asked his members to restart a fresh struggle for a socialist revolution.

Mr. Gunatilake said that the present leadership of the JVP deviated from the original ideology set out by Mr. Wijeweera, and therefore, dissidents had now taken the responsibility to make his dream a reality.

“We will commemorate Mr. Wijeweera’s death on November 13, 2011 with courage and determination to achieve this target,” he said.

He said that a broad leftist movement is urgently needed to give leadership at this moment to people undergoing socio-economic difficulties brought about by neo-capitalism.

“Public uprisings in different parts of the world speak volumes about such a need,” he said.

Asked whether the dissidents would choose the democratic path or revolutionary path for social renewal, he said that there are many options left before them to achieve this target.

“Electoral politics is only one path which we consider. There are also other ways. People’s power is all the more important. We have to form and strengthen the leftist movement to give leadership for such people,” he said. (Kelum Bandara)