COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s fiery ultra-nationalist force, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has split and the party’s former parliamentary group leader, Wimal Weerawanse is blaming unspecified ‘international forces’ for it. Weerawanse, regarded as the public face of the JVP was suspended from the party recently amid verbal lashings by JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe stating that Weerawanse, an outspoken orator had violated party discipline. Making a special statement in Parliament on Tuesday, Weerawanse said his ouster and the conflict within the JVP was organised by certain ‘alien elements’ who wanted to divide the country and destroy all ‘patriotic forces’.

Meanwhile, ten JVP members, nearly one-third of the party’s MPs in an unexpected move sided with Weerawanse and addressing a packed press briefing vowed to stand by him and function as a separate unit in Parliament. Led by senior party member Piyasiri Wijenayake, the group pledged to defeat what they termed as a conspiracy against Weerawansa, emphasising that their action was in the best interest of the 37-member third largest political party in Parliament.

Weerawanse did not attend the press briefing by the JVP dissidents.

The JVP initially formed in the late sixties on Marxist lines carried out two bloody insurgencies in 1971 and 1989, both of which were harshly suppressed by the existing governments at the time. The founder, Rohana Wijeweera was captured and killed in November 1989, the time frame in which Wimal Weerawanse joined the party as a teenager during the JVP’s anti-India campaign to rid the country of the Indian Peace keeping Force (IPKF).

Over the years the party has veered heavily from Marxism to Nationalism and at present remains a powerful force that opposes peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE. In November 1995, the JVP backed President Mahinda Rajapakse during the campaign for the presidential election but later became estranged from the UPFA government, refusing to accept ministerial portfolios. The government’s move to formally end the ceasefire with the LTTE in January this year was cheered by the party as a wise move.

The JVP, which is to contest the Eastern elections to be held next month, saw a clashing of views within the party concerning the disarmament of armed groups in the area, including the former LTTE faction, the TMVP. While party leaders supported the disarmament of armed groups, Weerawanse vociferously opposed the decision.

Political sources say the views of Weerawanse have often clashed recently with those of party leader, Somawanse Amarasinghe. Amarasinghe is the only surviving politbureau member from the Marxist uprising in the late 1980s who returned to Sri Lanka in November 2001after a 12-year exile abroad.

Although Somawanse is the senior most member of the party, some analysts opine that public support and sympathy, especially among the younger generation is likely to be with Wimal Weerawanse.

In an emotional speech,Weerawansa said he had sacrificed his youth as well as opportunities for higher education for the betterment of his party and likened his suspension to an ‘assassination’.

Political observers say the future of the JVP would depend on how the party’s internal conflict progresses. “It is difficult to say at present how the JVP split will affect the party leadership. It is possible that more senior members will opt to join the dissidents supporting Weerawanse. But it is also possible that those in the Somawanse camp would decide to patch up things, keeping in mind the political stability of the group,” one analyst close to the party said.