Leading activist of Citizen’s Power and literary figure Gamini Viyangoda said his organization and artistes of the National Movement for a Just Society would not attend the function.

The president should not have made such a remark, said Viyangoda.

Civil society and professional organizations last night held a meeting to discuss a media briefing they would hold today to announce their stand.

They have decided to resign from the positions to which they had been appointed by the president, to protest his remark that is a direct intimidation of the functions of the independent commissions, their investigations and court action.