By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana  

Samagi Jana Balawegaya will participate in the All Party Conference (APC) proposed by president Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday,  Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament yesterday.  

“We will lead from the front and finalise a solution to the ethnic problem by the time Sri Lanka celebrates its 75th Independence Day,” Premadasa said.  

 The President inquired from MPs as to whether they welcome the 13th Amendment on Wednesday. 

“I would like to say that SJB is for devolution of power based on the 13th Amendment. However we would also like to mention that the incumbent President will suffer the same fate of his predecessor if he tries to suppress peaceful protests. We are for peaceful protests but oppose violence. Killing of MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala, the attack on MP Kumara Welgama and burning of housing on May 9, 2022 were acts of terrorism,” he said.  

“The President said that I am a follower of former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. If that is so I would be the country’s President by now,” the Opposition Leader said.