We ran the party after taking it over from Samaraweera - Diana

By Yohan Perera  

The Telephone was a symbol used by SLFP ‘M’ group which was formed by Mangala Samaraweera after falling out with former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2007, State Minister Diana Gamage said yesterday.  

State Minister Gamage said she and her husband took the party over from Samaraweera when he obtained the membership of the UNP. 

“We ran the party after taking it over from Samaraweera and Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka was trying to contest the Presidential election from our party but could not do so because of some technical issues. Incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe wanted our party to form an alliance for the 2019 Presidential election. However Sajith Premadasa became the UNP candidate and contested under the swan symbol. Thereafter Sajith wanted us to sell the party to him. We did not agree to it and got into an agreement. Therefore they decided to change the party’s name to Samagi Jana Balawegaya and we were to be given a national list slot. My husband is the deputy leader of the party according to the agreement. Most of those MPs who claim to be members of SJB still hold the UNP membership. No one in our party can hold membership of another party according to our constitution. SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara had accepted in a district courts that some SJB MPs still hold UNP membership,” she said.   

Madduma Bandara when contacted by the Daily Mirror said they don’t want to comment on insane statements, “We don’t want to comment on insane statements,” he said.