SJB and several other parties to boycott All-Party Conference  

The main opposition SJB and several other political parties, yesterday announced that they would boycott the All-Party Conference (APC), scheduled for tomorrow (23).

The SJB yesterday announced that it would be boycotting the All Party Conference called by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

SJB MP Tissa Attanayake said that his party leaders had decided not to attend the meeting. He said the government had failed to manage the economy. The All-Party Conference was a media circus to hoodwink the public.

The Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) also said that it would boycott the All-Party Conference.

The parties that have decided to boycott the APC are as follows: SJB, CWC, Thamil Makkal Thesiya Kuttani (TMTK), Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF), JVP and Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU).

Leader of the PHU addressing a press conference in Maharagama said that the all party conference would be held as per a request by the SLFP. “We are against the way the conference is to be held. The government has failed to take many actions that should have been taken prior to calling an all party conference.”

The UNP yesterday said that they had not yet made a decision and added that its stance would most probably be announced this evening.

SLFP leader and former President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday said that his party would attend the meeting, which was expected to discuss solutions for the present crisis situation. He said that the all party conference was an attempt to save the people from this crisis therefore his party will attend the meeting.