18 September 2020 04:50 pm
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) today invited the United National Party (UNP) to become an ally of the new alliance which is in the making and to contest the provincial council election together.
The invitation was extended by SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara who told a press conference that the message has been already passed on to the UNP.
“We invite the UNP to join the SJB led alliance which is in the making. It will also be possible for the two parties to contest the provincial council election together if the two parties strike a deal to become partners to an alliance,” Mr. Madduma Bandara said.
“ I have already spoken to the new UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene as well,” he added while falling short of divulging the details with regard to the discussion.
SJB MP Harshana Rajakaruna who also participated in the press conference said the ideal scenario would be to hand over the UNP leadership to Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa. “It would be possible to have a leadership council to the new proposed alliance if Mr. Premadasa becomes the leader of the UNP,” he said.
“We will make Mr. Premadasa the President of this country in 2024 with or without the UNP,” he added.
Meanwhile, it was highlighted at the press conference that the SJB would launch protests against the proposed 20th Amendment in and outside Parliament. The SJB said a sum of Rs 743 billion which is circulated among 150 state institutions would go unaccounted for as auditing of these 150 state institutions will not be allowed as per the proposed piece of legislation. (Yohan Perera)