We have suffered because of our past mistakes : Sajith

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, UNP Vice President Navin Dissanayake and UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene pays floral tribute to late Minister Gamini Dissanayake at a ceremony held to mark his birth anniversary. Pic by Kushan Pathiraja

By Yohan Perera   

The political camp which represents right wing politics has been thrown into the political wilderness today , Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said over the weekend.   

Premadasa made this remark referring to his party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and United National Party (UNP) at a ceremony held to mark the 84th birth anniversary of late Minister Gamini Dissanayake in Colombo.   

“ The right wing camp has suffered because of struggles for positions such as ministerial portfolios. It is high time we shed this kind of petty politics. The SJB is not prepared to get into any political alliance with anyone based on ministerial portfolios. Any alliance should be based on policies. One must understand that people have rejected both croney capitalism and extreme left wing politics. What the country needs today is a middle path . What is needed today is capitalism with a human face “ he said.   

Whilst stating that it was the late Minister Dissanayake who introduced him into politics , Premadasa said his father late President Ranasinghe Premadasa was trying to patch up with the late Minister Dissanayake.   

The late minister Dissanayake’s son Navin Dissanayake said there is an urgent need for both parties to come together as time is running out.   

“ We are getting old. I am 56 years old and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa is also more than 50 years old. Are we going to grow old and vanish? I know Mr. Premadasa has expectations. So do I? Even UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene and General Secretary Talatha Athukorala have expectations. We can fulfill these only if our two parties come together. The two parties could get into an electoral alliance while maintaining their individual party identities” he said.   

Speaking at the occasion Mr.Ruwan Wijewardene stressed the need for a marriage between UNP and SJB and said such an alliance could push Sri Lanka through the present crisis. “ It is clear that experienced people are needed to run the country. Both UNP and SJB comprise of experienced people. Therefore both parties could capture power if they get into an alliance” he said.   

He also said Sri Lanka could face a major security issue if the crisis in the Middle East drags on.