The leftist allies of the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) are to go independent in the upcoming eastern province election as means to underline the importance of devolution of power to the Tamils, Raja Collure, secretary of the Communist Party said today.
The leftist parties include Communist Party, Democratic Left Front and the Lanka Sama Samaja Party.
"We have our own views such as the resolution of the ethnic issue through devolution of power.
"We also want to see the implementation of the LLRC recommendations," Collure said.
Collure said that they have banded together as the Socialist People's Movement to contest the eastern provincial council election which is to take place in the early part of September.
The leftist parties are of the view that problem with the Tamil minority could only be settled through the devolution of power, he said.
The implementation of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) was also important, he said.
LLRC was appointed by president Mahinda Rajapaksa to recommend ways to prevent another separatist movement for the Tamil minority.
Collure added that the left parties would however contest as the UPFA in the elections for the other two councils, north central and the south eastern Sabaragamuva.
