• All SJB seniors decided that only the party leader should deliver a message to the people at the protest on March 15 
• It was reported earlier on social media that a fresh division has arisen  among the leaders of SJB

By Yohan Perera   

Rejecting the reports that are being circulated in the social media and in the political circle that there is a fresh internal conflict within the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) after scraping of speeches given to some party seniors at the protest on March 15, two of its MPs yesterday said everyone agreed that only party leader Sajith Premadasa should speak during the event.    

MPs Mujibur Rahaman and Hector Appuhamy who responded to a question raised by the journalists at a press conference yesterday said there is no division among the seniors of SJB. 

“All SJB seniors decided that only the party leader should deliver a message to the people at the protest on March 15 while others should not speak. There was no disagreement or any conflict within the party with regard to the matter,” he said.   

It was reported earlier on social media that a fresh division has arisen among the leaders of SJB, as the original decision which was made on March 15 that seniors of SJB including Chairman Sarath Fonseka, Harin Fernando, Patali Champika Ranawaka and Rajitha Senaratne should speak at the protest, was changed at the last moment by the party leader himself.

 “All MPs agreed that only the party leader should speak at the protest and deliver a message and therefore there is no conflict within the party,” Mr Rahman said.   

The two MPs said the remark made by the President during his address to the nation on Wednesday that the present economic crisis was not created by him is not acceptable. “It was the government of Mr. Rajapaksa who gave tax concessions and lost a revenue of Rs 800 billion. There were no diesel, gas and kerosene queues as there were adequate stocks of essential goods during that time,” MP Appuhamy said.   

Both MPs said the President, Minister of Finance Basil Rajapaksa and Central Bank Governor Ajith Niward Cabral should resign from their posts. 

• The original decision  that seniors of SJB  should speak at  the protest, was changed at the last moment by the party leader himself