Wije Dias, the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) candidate in the November 17 Sri Lankan presidential elections, will speak at the first public meeting of the party’s election campaign next week. Dias is SEP General Secretary and a member of the World Socialist Web Site editorial board.

The SEP is standing in the election to provide a socialist alternative for working people. The United National Party and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party are both responsible for the present economic and social disaster—deteriorating living standards, attacks on democratic rights and the danger of a return to civil war. The SEP insists that only by building a powerful political movement independent of all parties of the bourgeoisie can workers fight for their class interests.

The SEP’s campaign is not limited to this small island but will address working people throughout South Asia and internationally. Its program is based on unifying working people in Sri Lanka—Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim alike—with their class brothers in the region. The SEP fights to build a Sri Lanka-Eelam United Socialist Republic as a part of the United Socialist States of South Asia.

The SEP plans a series of meetings throughout the island as well as in India. We appeal to WSWS readers and our supporters to generously donate to our special fund of 500,000 rupees ($US5,000) established to finance this ambitious campaign.

Donations can be sent to the Socialist Equality Party
Account number: 1472834301
Commercial Bank of Ceylon Limited
Kirullapona Branch
94A, Pamankade Road
Kirullapona
Sri Lanka

Public Meetings:

Colombo

Public Library Auditorium
October 4
4 p.m.

Chilaw

Shirley Corea Memorial Hall
October 14
3 p.m.

Kurunegala

Public Library Auditorium
October 29
3 p.m.