Aug 23, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) says the government has decided to shut down universities in the country in order to side step from the issues faced by the higher education sector.

JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said the closure of universities was not the solution since it would not get rid of the issues faced by the higher education sector.

He warned that closing down universities and continuing with the closure would eventually result in the government's end.

He explained that instead of closing the universities, the government should take steps to address the issues faced by the university lecturers and work to end the strike.

"There is no reason to close the Universities at this moment and the Government should provide immediate solutions for the Lecturers who have been on a strike for nearly two months," the JVP General Secretary said.

"We will have to resort to strong political action if the government continues to neglect the country's education sector," Silva said.

The Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake yesterday ordered the university administrators to close all universities except the medical faculties in them until further notice due to the protracted strike by the university academics jeopardizing the future of the university students.