ON CEYLON
Many organs of the international press have published news and comments on the political situation in Ceylon, sometimes making incorrect statements, and have also speculated in regard to the attitude taken by the LSSP, Ceylonese Section of the Fourth International.
The International Secretariat notes that after the March
20th elections — which did not result in a clear parliamentary majority - the LSSP stated that it was ready to ensure its support to the SL FP with a view to avoiding the return to power of the capitalist and pro-imperialist reactionary UNP. The IS also notes that the LSSP, for such a purpose, signed a non-contest agneement and a
54 mutual-support agreement with the SLFP and the CP after the parliament had been dissolved. As soon as the results of the new (July 20th) elections were known, the LS SP declared that it will cooperate with the SL FP government as an independent party in every activity which carries the country forward along progressive lines. The LSSP will assist the SLFP government to defeat and overcome any and every sabotaging effort of big capital and the foreign imperialists. The LS SP will in particular assist the SL FP government in every anti-capitalist step it takes. As regards the speech from the throne, the party's M Ps voted for it after having characterized their positions by presenting amendments and criticized the refusal by the government to nationalize plantations.
While taking into account the arguments of the Cey. lonese comrades and taking into consideration the fact that their policy can be characterized, to a large extent, as a policy of critical support, the IS on its part has not failed to express to the L S SP its disagreement in regard to both its recent electoral policy and its policy towards
FOURTH INTERNATIONAL the SLEP after the March and July elections. The IS parlicularly believes that the no-contest agreement, extendeil up to a mutual-support agreement, involves the danger of creating illusions about the nature of the S L FP among the great masses and that an attitude of support to a government such as that of Mrs Bandaranaike should only be critical and hence limited to the progressive measures actually proposed and adopted.
In the specific case of the speech from the throne, the I S thinks that the very moderate character of the government programme and its attitude against nationalization of plantations — a fundamental question for a country like Ceylon — is such as to involve a negative vote by the LS SP MPs.
A discussion on the Ceylonese situation and the policy to adopt has been opened in view of the next conference of the LSSP and of the World Congress of the International.
THE INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT OF THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL 10 September 1960
AN OPEN