By Shamindra Ferdinando       

 Gampaha District SJB MP Harshana Rajakaruna yesterday (21) said that he was confident that no one would accept the oft-repeated UNP’s invitation to join that party in the run-up to presidential poll.

Lawmaker Rajakaruna was responding to UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara’s latest invitation to the SJB parliamentary group.

 Declaring that the UNP was making a futile effort to entice Opposition MPs to join unholy Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa alliance, MP Rajakaruna asked who would want to accept UNP membership at a time once great party had been reduced to just one National List MP.

 MP Rajakaruna said that UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe couldn’t absolve himself of the responsibility of the party’s plight though he enjoyed the perks and privileges of the executive courtesy the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). That is the ugly truth the UNP refused to accept, MP Rajakaruna said.

The SJB secured 54 including seven National List slots at the last parliamentary election conducted in Aug 2020.

 Responding to The Island queries, MP Rajakaruna said that the UNP now realized that the beleaguered Wickremesinghe couldn’t win over the SJB parliamentary group though he enjoyed executive powers. “The UNP leader is in a way a prisoner of the SLPP,” MP Rajakaruna said, warning the UNP’s support base couldn’t be re-build as long as the UNP-SLPP partnership remains.

 Former minister Imthiaz Bakeer Markar, MP, told The Island that the electorate wouldn’t be fooled by the Jathika Jana Balawegaya (JJB)/Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) strategies nor grand declarations made by the UNP.

SJB National List MP Markar dismissed much touted JJB/JVP promises to overcome the economic challenges and develop the country as just propaganda meant to deceive the gullible public. Referring to recent statements made by JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva, MP Markar said that they still obviously believed in old-socialist strategies that had been even given up by Russia, China and Vietnam.

 The former UNP Minister stressed that there was no alternative to the main Opposition party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) led by Sajith Premadasa, MP.

 Responding to queries, MP Markar said that the SJB could begin turning around the national economy after winning the presidential election later this year. “We are quite confident that the electorate would rally around our party as they realized President Wickremesinghe lacked genuine support in parliament,” MP Markar said, pointing out the SLPP used the UNP leader to break the momentum of the violent public protest campaign in 2022.

 That was a political move, MP Markar declared, pointing out Wickremesinghe would find it difficult to break free from that unholy alliance and there couldn’t be any sort of rapprochement with the supporters as long as he cohabited with the SLPP.

 MP Markar said that he didn’t want to underestimate any party. However, the SLPP, in spite of having the largest parliamentary group, seemed to be in such a deteriorated situation fielding a candidate of its own at the forthcoming presidential election seemed unrealistic.

 The former minister said that contrary to various statements made by different UNP spokespersons, the SJB hadn’t so far officially received an invitation from the UNP to join that party. Had that happened the party would have taken up the issue at the Working Committee or the Management Committee, MP Markar said, adding that interested parties were bent on destroying political parties.

 Referring to the continuing turmoil in the SLFP with those exercising ministerial powers seeking to take over that party and the developing crisis in the ruling SLPP, MP Markar said that their parliamentary group withstood various pressures as attempts were made to cause rifts among the members.