• Says he is welcome to join the UNP

By Yohan Perera   

Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa is losing control of his party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) as many prominent members have informed the President that they are willing to back him, UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara said today.   

“Some prominent SJBers had informed us that they are willing to support President Wickremesinghe and that they will leave the party at the correct time. 

Therefore, the SJB leader will lose control of the party before long,” UNP General Secretary told a briefing.   

“The door is open for Sajith to join the UNP if he wants to survive. There is no reason for our leader to reject Mr. Premadasa’s entry into the party while he is currently working with his onetime rival SLPP,” Range Bandara added.

Also, he said the UNP welcomes the scrapping of the Executive Presidency even if it is done tomorrow.   

Meanwhile, he announced that the UNP old guard Gamini Jayawickrama Perera who left the UNP and joined SJB in 2020 and his son Asanka Perera who was the SJB organizer for Katugampala has rejoined UNP.