Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa says the failure of today’s strike has proved that the workers are fully supportive of the President’s programmes to vanquish terrorism and enthrone peace in the country.The Minister said the strike was an utter failure sans any government influence. Addressing the weekly Cabinet news briefing at the Parliamentary Complex today, he said this was the first strike staged islandwide by the JVP. It is also the first token strike by the UNP. It is further the first time that both parties had joined in such an effort.

They desired to gain political mileage. Later another group joined it. Tamilnet reported yesterday that the LTTE appealed to their ally to support it and Parliamentarian Sambahdan appealed for support. A strike meant strucking work. Not a single service was crippled by the strike today.

This is the first effort of both parties in the country’s history. It came a cropper. Now they are talking of other days. Minister Anura Yapa said he wished to tell the JVP that the Government was geared to face the challenge as long as it had the support of the workers.

He however emphasised that they will not effect any changes to the desire of achieving peace and prosperity and the strategies adopted to subdue terrorism.

(Courtesy : ITN Sri Lanka )