Expulsion won’t make any difference: SJB candidate

The expulsion of UNPers who are contesting under the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) will not make any difference as everyone who were expelled have already joined the new political alliance, SJB Kurunegala District candidate J. C . Alawathuwala said today.

“We are anyway contesting the general elections under the SJB. Therefore, the exercise carried out by the UNP by publishing names of expelled members will not serve any purpose,” he told a news conference.

Meanwhile, SJB Gampaha District candidate Ranjan Ramanayake said expulsions were nothing new to him.

“I was removed from the post of UNP Divulapitiya Organiser and from the Gampaha District Organiser’s post earlier. Therefore expulsion from the UNP is nothing new to me. I will go along with the SJB which comprises lesser number of politicians who have robbed public funds compared to other parties,” Mr. Ramanayake told the Daily Mirror.

At the same time, Mr. Ramanayake said he still believed that both the UNP and SJB should come together. “There are no permanent enemies in politics and therefore I believe that the two parties must come together,” he said.

He also said SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara had informed him to file legal action against the expulsion.

SJB Galle District candidate Bandulalal Bandarigoda said the party was currently having discussions to take legal action against the expulsions. “We are still members of the UNP as it was the UNP working committee which gave the approval to form the SJB,” he said. (Yohan Perera)