COLOMBO, July 27: The usually turbulent political scene in Sri Lanka was heading into a ‘fragmented storm’ as never before, analysts predicted on Friday, a day after a dissident faction of the government and sections of the main opposition marched through Colombo demanding fresh elections, amidst equally vociferous rallies organised by the government in support of President Mahinda Rajapakse.

Thousands of anti-government protesters marched through Colombo in the first of a series of promised anti-government demonstrations on Thursday, calling for new elections and swift action against human rights violations and alleged corruption.

Meanwhile, the main opposition, the United National Party is divided over the recent pact signed between UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and the newly formed political party of former Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera. A spokesman for a section of the UNP said it has formed a dissident faction, the UNP democratic group, and has vowed to launch an islandwide door to door campaign against the UNP mainstream as well as the memorandum of understanding signed between the UNP and Samaraweera’s SLFP – Mahajana Wing.

Amidst the existing upheaval the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) which helped elect President Mahinda Rajapakse has now pledged to carry out its own door to door campaign to topple the government.

“The agitation by anti-governmental forces calling elections would only push the government to hold counteract rallies in support of its stand not to have another poll, which would result in unprecedented chaos in the country.

The measures taken by the Marxist JVP to hold its own rallies opposing the government meanwhile would further complicate the political climate”, an analyst noted.