News
SJB-UNP talks fail again; Tissa pulls out of delegation
by Shamindra Ferdinando
The UNP and its breakaway faction SJB have failed again to reach a consensus on joining forces, ahead of the forthcoming Local Government elections.
Formal talks between the two parties were likely to be suspended pending LG polls, sources said, adding inflexible positions taken by some politicians undermined the reconciliation effort.
The talks had fallen through due to the leadership issue, sources said. Declaring that the NPP government had been struggling to cope up with a spate of issues, with the latest being the countrywide power outage and subsequent electricity cuts, an SJB MP asserted that if they contested under one banner, a significant challenge could have been posed to the NPP.
SJB General Secretary and National List MP Ranjith Maddumabandara and former MP Thalatha Atukorale led the SJB and the UNP delegations, respectively. Perhaps, those elected on the SJB and UNP ticket at the forthcoming LG polls could work together in local councils, sources said, explaining they were making efforts to make such an arrangement a reality.
A section of the UNP formed the SJB in early 2020 to contest the parliamentary election in the same year. The SJB secured 54 seats, including seven NL slots at that election while the UNP was reduced to a single NL slot. At the last general election conducted in Nov 2024, the SJB managed to obtain 40 seats, including five NL slots, whereas the UNP didn’t contest under its own symbol. Instead, it fielded candidates under the NDF ticket but failed to secure a single seat.
The NDF parliamentary group consists of five, including two NL members.
Political sources said that their failure to address the leadership issue ahead of fresh nominations for LG polls meant that there was no likelihood of the two parties coming together to contest elections anytime soon. Speaking to The Island, an Opposition MP familiar with negotiations said: “We agreed to disagree. There were four rounds of talks between the SJB and the UNP after the last general election but we seemed to be unable to convince the UNP to accept Sajith Premadasa’s leadership.”
The SJB insisted that Sajith Premadasa be appointed the leader of the alliance to be formed, sources said pointing out that had they resolved the leadership issue ahead of the Sept 2024 presidential election, the outcome could have been different. SJB candidate Sajith Premadasa and Independent candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe together polled 6.6 mn votes while Anura Kumara Dissanayake obtained 5.6 mn votes.
Meanwhile, SJB sources said that the main Opposition party would vote for the Local Government Elections (Special Provisions) Bill today (17) to enable the Election Commission to call for fresh nominations for the upcoming local government polls.
The Supreme Court has stipulated that the Election Commission should take steps to hold elections no later than three months from the date the Act comes into force. Political sources said that the LG poll was likely to be held in the last week of April.
The LG polls were fixed for March 9, 2023 but postponed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe claiming the government didn’t have the required funds.
As part of the official visit to London for the 43rd Commonwealth of Learning (COL) Board of Governors Meeting 2026, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, held discussions with academic experts from the British Council on Wednesday [20 May 2026].
The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in education, particularly in the areas of teacher training, English language programmes, education frameworks, and language acquisition skills.
The British Council shared international experience and highlighted its ongoing engagement in Sri Lanka, while expressing readiness to support the country through technical assistance, teacher development initiatives, and policy collaboration.
Discussions also included views on improving quality assurance, expanding research collaboration, and enhancing learning opportunities.
The Prime Minister appreciated the British Council’s continued engagement in Sri Lanka and reiterated the importance of deepening partnerships.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division’
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, who is currently on an official visit to the United Kingdom, met with members of the Sri Lankan community living in London on Wednesday [20th] and engaged in cordial discussions.
Despite the event being held on a weekday, it was notable that nearly one thousand Sri Lankans representing the Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim communities attended with great enthusiasm.
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that despite natural disasters and international crises, the present government has succeeded in stabilizing the country’s economy while providing relief to the people. She further noted that Sri Lanka’s political culture has now undergone a positive transformation that is irreversible.
Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Paulraj, addressing the event, stated that a governance system has now been established in the country where all communities are treated equally and the benefits of economic development are shared fairly among all citizens.
Moving away from the traditional method of political gatherings, the event also provided an open platform for members of the Sri Lankan community to directly raise questions and express their views to the Prime Minister and the Minister.
Commenting on the organization of the event, the organizing committee stated that all expenses, including dinner, were borne by the participants themselves. The organizers further remarked that it is unsurprising that opposition groups, accustomed to organizing such events through the misuse of public funds, appear unsettled by this transparent process.
The occasion was attended by the Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Paulraj and Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Nimal Senadheera.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya currently undertaking an official visit to London, United Kingdom, to participate in the 43rd Commonwealth of Learning (COL) Board of Governors Meeting 2026 held a bilateral meeting with the Yvette Cooper MP, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom ON Wednesday [20]. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Nimal Senadheera, along with officials from the Sri Lankan High Commission.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister conveyed Sri Lanka’s appreciation to the United Kingdom for the support extended in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwa, including ongoing rebuilding and recovery assistance. The Prime Minister also commended the United Kingdom’s support in facilitating increased bilateral trade and exports for Sri Lanka.
The Prime Minister briefed the UK delegation on Sri Lanka’s recent economic developments and policy priorities, the Government’s commitment to advancing human rights and reconciliation, as well as Sri Lanka’s positive growth trajectory.
The two sides also exchanged views on current global geopolitical developments, challenges in the energy sector, and the importance of enhancing regional connectivity and long-term energy security.
Both sides also emphasised the importance of strengthening structured academic mobility frameworks while ensuring fairness, clarity, and integrity within migration systems.
They also reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries in areas of mutual interest.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
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