Sri Lanka’s opposition landscape may be poised for a major realignment, as the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the United National Party (UNP) explore the possibility of renewed cooperation.
Speaking to the media on Thursday after receiving blessings from Venerable Keppetiyagoda Siriwimala Thera, the Chief Incumbent of Gatambe Rajopavanaramaya, National Organiser of the SJB Tissa Attanayake said that “preliminary discussions are underway” to build a common consensus between the two parties.
He noted that the SJB is already in active dialogue with multiple opposition groups and suggested that the government is becoming increasingly unsettled by the prospect of a united front forming under the SJB’s leadership.
“We are currently exchanging ideas with all opposition political groups to work together, centred around the Samagi Jana Balawegaya,. We gained valuable experience from the last Local Government election, where our collective effort secured control of 101 local bodies,” he said.
Attanayake stressed that the current political climate demands stronger cooperation among opposition forces.
He accused the government of undemocratic practices, alleging that political victimisation is on the rise and that dissenting voices are being targeted.
“All opposition parties have decided to form a unified front against this repression. Under the leadership of Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, we are committed to protecting democracy and defeating the authoritarian tendencies of the current administration,” he added.
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