18 August 2020 10:21 pm
There is a possibility of a merger between the United National Party (UNP) and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) in the future, UNP Deputy General Secretary Ruwan Wijewardene said today.
“We intend having a dialogue with the SJB with such a possibility in view,” he told journalists after making a statement to the police on the Easter Sunday attacks.
Mr. Wijewardena said a new young leader may emerge in few months and one has to be patient on the restructuring of the UNP during this transitional period.
"UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is not reluctant to give up the leadership as he had already said he was willing to handover the UNP to a young leader,” he said adding that the party would be reorganized and restructured to turn it into a strong political force.
Referring to the Easter Sunday attacks, Mr. Wijewardene said it was a lack of communication and the relational breakdown between the UNP and former president Maithripala Sirisena which prevented action being taken to prevent the attacks. He said there was no information to suggest that Zarhan was engaged in terrorist activities though he expressed extremist ideas over social media.
Meanwhile, an official statement from the UNP media unit said there was no truth about the reports which said an interim leader would be appointed to the party. The statement added that the discussions on the reorganization of the party would continue. “Names of eight young members of the party have been considered as potential future leaders,” the statement said. (Yohan Perera)