by Sahan Tennekoon in The Daily Morning, July 25, 2023
The United National Party (UNP) said that the supporters of several major parties in the North and the East are to play a major role in the massive UNP-led alliance which is to be formed under the leadership of incumbent President and Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe for the future Presidential and Parliamentary Elections, The Daily Morning learnt. Sources also claimed that ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Party members and the main Parliamentary Opposition Party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) will also join the said alliance.
Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (24) following a statement made by the UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene that President Wickremesinghe will lead a grand alliance that will contest the next Presidential and General Elections, UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara said that the Party has already commenced discussions with several parties in order to get their support for Wickremesinghe in the future. He also claimed that most of the Parliamentarians who are currently sitting in the House will support Wickremesighe to get elected again as the President despite what their political parties and opinions are. He noted that most of the SJB members, including several frontline MPs, have participated in the discussions. However, he refused to disclose the names of the parties and the MPs who participated in those discussions.
“In the 1940s, former Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake formed this Party with the idea of initiating a national platform where all Sri Lankans can gather despite their nationality, religion, caste, etc. It was very helpful in winning Independence. Since the current situation is very similar to then, all the people who want to get the country back onto the right path now have one umbrella, which is the UNP. Accordingly, we, the UNP, are trying to gather all the patriotic people under our shelter. There will be Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, UNPers, SJBers, and National People’s Power Party members in that alliance. I would say that the Tamils who are satisfied with the President’s efforts to find solutions for the ethnic issues will also play a major role in this journey to victory. With open arms, we welcome all of them,” he said.
He also said that since the President assumed duties in the office, most of the people in this country, including the rivals of the UNP and the President, have understood that Wickremesinghe is the best candidate out of the frontrunners for the Presidency, and that therefore, it is not too difficult to obtain the support of the majority of the citizens for this alliance. He noted that this alliance would be one of the biggest alliances to ever be formed in the country’s electoral history.
However, speaking to The Daily Morning on 23 July, SJB General Secretary and MP Ranjith Maddumabandara said that whatever happens, the Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa will run for the Presidency with the help of the SJB and minor parties who support the SJB. Meanwhile, amid speculation that the Party is divided in its support for President Wickremesinghe at the next Presidential Poll, SLPP General Secretary and MP attorney Sagara Kariyawasam recently told the media that the SLPP’s National Organiser Basil Rajapaksa may end up being its Presidential candidate in a future election.
https://www.themorning.lk/articles/DEbMo86lHR8ihWZ4YyHZ
