Highlights of the JVP Short Term Plan to Build up the Country

This is a summary of the detailed programme of development work presented to the public in connection with the General Election scheduled to be held on December 5, 2001. Please buy a copy of the detailed programme and read how the JVP proposes to build up the country within the next five years:

Dear Parents, Brothers and Sisters,

The accelerated programme of work presented by the People’s Liberation Front (JVP) to the public with a view to salvaging and developing Sri Lanka.
Our motherland was under the domination of foreigners for a long period of 443 years. We, who had been subjected to economic, political ideological enslavement and impoverishment during those long years, freed ourselves from direct foreign domination in 1948. Since then we have been ruled for 53 years by the local ruling class. We have changed governments during these 53 years. But, at the end of these 53 years what the Sri Lankan ruling class has bequeathed us are, economic, political and ideological poverty and enslavement only. As a direct result of this more than half of the Sri Lankan population amounting to 18 million comprising Sinhalese, Muslims, burghers & Malays has been reduced to a state of dire poverty. Sri Lanka is now counted among the poorest countries in the world. Sri Lankan nation is in danger of falling apart. The unity of the state has been threatened as never before. National independence and autonomy have fallen into disgrace. Once a proud self-sufficient nation that exported rice, has now become slavishly dependent on other countries for bare survival. We have degraded ourselves to the state of a nation of beggars trampled by foreign debts.

It is only a handful of wretched and self-Seeking people who are utterly unconcerned about what happens to the country and the nation can remain unmoved or indifferent about this grave situation and refrain from doing everything within their power to change it. What they need is to continue to live their despicable life of luxury and frivolity, selling the motherland and plundering public property and money. They do not want bring prosperity to the country and the entire community of Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers & Malays.

The JVP which is our and your party is keen on making Sri Lanka an economically, politically and culturally developed country. As such it is the fervent wish of the JVP to do justice to all the citizens of Sri Lanka – to the labour class in Sri Lanka, all-honest, talented, efficient and enthusiastic entrepreneurs, farmers, labourers in industry, landowners who love the country and all citizens irrespective of their class, ethnicity, religion, language, caste, age, gender or physical handicaps. To achieve these ends by pooling all the energies, capabilities, knowledge and experience of the entire Sri Lankans living here or abroad for the benefit of all, the JVP is asking for power.

Solution to the Tamil Elam problem
The territorial integrity, unity of the state, national independence and autonomy of Sri Lanka have been endangered as never before. The JVP wants to defeat militarily and ideologically, the separatism which reared its ugly head as a result of the wrong policies adopted by the UNP, the PA and the Tamil nationalistic parties and to prevent fragmentation of the Sri Lankan population along the lines of language. The JVP will start talks with the separatist organizations only on condition that they agree to give up demanding a separate state which organizations call the Tamil Elam. The JVP has clearly understood that an environment conducive to crush terrorism has now arisen all over the world.

The policy of the JVP will undoubtedly be one, which will ensure equality and democracy to all nationalities, ethnicities and people of different religious faiths, rejecting all forms of chauvinism and tribalism. This way, the JVP will be taking steps to bring about harmony and peaceful co-existence among all ethnicities of Sri Lanka. It is with this end in view that the JVP incorporated clauses to the JVP – PA MOU signed on Sept. 5. 2001. You all know that it was obligatory of the government to ensure transparency in all matters concerning new appointment promotions transfers and not to discriminate on grounds of ethnicity, religion, gender or political affiliations, during the our year period in which the MOU was to be effective.

Under this programme put forward by the JVP it will be ensured that all Sri Lankans have the right to live and work in any area of their choice. The administration will be decentralized on a non – linguistic and non – religious basis after studying the modules of other multi – ethnic countries.

All those who were displaced because of the anti – Tamil riots fuelled by the UNP in 1983 will be invited to return to their respective areas. Those who fled the war – torn areas in the North and the East will be readily welcomed in the other parts of the country. We intend to give priority to the rehabilitation of the Muslims and Sinhalese who had been forced out of their homes in Jaffna within a period of 48 hours by the LTTE. Steps will be taken to rehabilitate the Muslim, Sinhala and Tamil people who were forced out of their traditional lands in Wanni and the Eastern Province on account of LTTE attacks, and provide them total security.

The JVP government will take positive steps to solve the national problem on basis of equality. This would eventually root out the conditions that would breed and sustain Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim racist parties.

Racism will not end racism. It is our firm conviction that racism will subside after equality and democracy have been established. We earnestly request you to give us power to put it into practice.

Territorial integrity of the country will be safeguarded!
The JVP government will strengthen the internal security of the country. It will be a vital responsibility and duty of our government to ensure the territorial integrity of the whole country protecting its borderlines. To plan out an effective defense mechanism, our government will incorporate proposals and ideas of all persons, both from state and private sectors who have the necessary knowledge, experience and talents in that particular field.

National independence and sovereignty will be preserved!
The JVP government will never do anything harmful to National Independence and sovereignty. Effective measures will be taken to restore and preserve the lost economic and political independence and the defiled sovereignty of the country.

The JVP is the only political party in Sri Lanka which is ready to learn from its past successes and failings and those of other parties’.

This is not all. No Matter from which source knowledge comes, we are keen to absorb it. The JVP will welcome all that is good wherever it comes from: the East, the West, the North or the South and reject all that is bad and corrupt. Accordingly, we will take all that is positive and constructive from China, India, America, Malaysia or Europe.

We will learn from China about economic reforms and how they have achieved the highest growth ratio by increasing foreign and local investments in the. We will learn from America how law and "responsibility" can be used to stop waste and promote efficiency. From India we’ll learn to develop Information Technology and Maintaining Security. From the USA and India we’ll learn how the representatives of the people, who are elected by vote, are answerable to people. We can learn from Europe the way to maintain social welfare and environment friendly policies. We will learn how to harness science and technology for development from the West and Japan. We can learn from Cuba and Vietnam how rulers, while bringing relief to the entire nation, can build a country with grace and dignity without wavering in the face of difficulties, privations, defeats, conspiracies, threats, invasions etc.

However, we will take only what is suitable for us. We will be using them to build our future based on our grand history and traditions.

We will pave the way for the future with due regard to our national heritage. We will reconstruct and strengthen Sri Lankan nation. While laying emphasis on the need of a speedy and fruitful industrialization we will boost and maintain the field of agriculture. Our main target will be to increase the production in every field.

Our endeavor will be to set up a government, which will ensure a reasonable standard of living to every citizen in Sri Lanka. It is with this intention that we incorporated a provision in the MOU to abolish the bank loans of the farmers who had been forced to commit suicide due to their inability to pay the bank loans.

It was pronounced through the MOU that, prices of milk-powder, sugar, flour, rice, medicine, fuel, water etc be kept under a ceiling and not to increase bus and train fares. Similarly, it was agreed in the MOU that when the prices of other consumer goods were to increase due to unavoidable circumstances the government should intervene and do its best to bring them under control.

Labour laws will be formulated in conformity to the ratifications of the International Labour Organization!

Benign labour laws will be guaranteed to the working class. The MOU maintained that it was necessary to have a committee comprising prominent representatives of trade unions to look into matters concerning the non implementation of the recommendations of International labour Organization of which Sri Lanka is a signatory. It was also agreed by the PA government that they would formulate labour laws recommended by this committee in conformity with the labour laws of the International Labour Organization and to bring them before the legislature during the one-year period in which the MOU was in effect.

We will endeavor to set up a responsible government. It will be transparent in relation to the state sector. We will set up a government based on abilities and skills and not one based on favoritism. It will remove nepotism and favoritism from the private sector. It was to fulfill this that mention was made that during the period in which the MOU was effective, nationality, religion, gender, political affiliation should not be considered in appointments, promotions and transfers effected by the government. Further, It was agreed in the MOU that a task force should be set up to conduct investigations about individuals and institutions that had abstained from paying their massive bank loans, the reasons for non-payment of loans and finally recover on the advice of the task force, these vast sums of money amounting to millions,

Our government will sponsor both publics & private sectors!
We need efficiency to be successful in both public & private sectors. The MOU had accepted the need of advisory committees comprising persons with specialized knowledge and experience in their respective subjects. It is before the dissolution of parliament that we requested specialists' Association like Sri Lanka Association of Advancement of Science (SLAAS) Institute of Engineers, Professionals' Association Organization to nominate suitable persons to these committees.

A government of ours will sponsor both public & private sectors. That is why it had been agreed in the MOU that within a period of three months of the signing of the MOU to appoint a parliament committee representing all the political parties to find out the problems the local entrepreneurs were undergoing, find short term solutions to them and after considering the recommendations of the committee to make available facilities to uplift the industries and enterprises that have problems.

The private sector that will develop and receive support under our government will be able to flourish into profit-making businesses without being worried about bribing politicians. This is why it was stipulated by the MOU that a high-powered committee should be appointed within three months from the signing of the MOU to prevent corruption and fraud relating to all purchases made by the government including the purchase of weapons and aircrafts...

We will make every effort at all levels, to provide, out citizens with education, which will be one of the most important concerns of the country.

This is why it was laid down by the MOU that privatization of education should be stopped, private sector should not be allowed to set up universities, and a committee, comprising intellectuals including university lecturers, should be appointed to make necessary recommendations with a view to expanding the national university system and ensure it qualitative improvement

Information Technology and computer science
The necessity of studying IT and Computer Science will be emphasized. Our government will train thousands of youths for foreign employment in the field of computer science and take steps to provide them with foreign employment.

History and literature will be included in the curriculum again!
History and literature will be included in the school curriculum once again. It will fill the younger generation with patriotism and creativity.

Immediate steps will be taken to arrest the moral and cultural decadence that has been the bane of the country for the past twenty-four years. Strict measures will be taken to squash the crime wave in the country and maintain law and order and ensure individual freedom and safety.

Environment Friendly Policy
The JVP government will immediately stop the ecological destruction that has been the cause for natural disasters like floods and drought. An environment policy will be followed in the development of the country.

Foreign Policy
Every effort will be made by the JVP government to do its duties and fulfill its obligations by the international community. It will implement an advanced foreign policy, which will aim at creating a globalization and a new world order that will ensure social justice, equality, democracy and environment conservation. The JVP will join hands with the people world over who are struggling against all forms of reactioaryism and dictatorship.

The image of Sri Lanka will be improved in the eyes of the world
The JVP government will direct the Sri Lankan embassies abroad to enhance the image of Sri Lanka, which has crumbled before the world.

Give us power to implement this programme, to purge Sri Lanka of all its evils and as a result our entire nation composed of the Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers and Malays will able to stand proud before the world. It will be the solemn promise of the JVP to bring about peace and prosperity to all the Sri Lankans in the true sense of the word.

Bring victory to the JVP at the General Elections on 5th December, 2001! Be a winner by doing so! Let us bring victory to the entire nation!

The Political bureau,

People's Liberation Front (JVP)

Approved at the special convention held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium on 26th October, 2001.