LEN - www.lankaenews.com | No Discussions with Ranil - Sajith; Moving Forward with the Most Successful Loser; SJB's Decision (Video)

No Discussions with Ranil - Sajith; Moving Forward with the Most Successful Loser; SJB's Decision (Video)

(Lanka-e-News -24.Sep.2024, 11.00 pm) Sajith Premadasa, known as the "most successful loser" for leading his party to defeat in three major elections, has stated that the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) organizers who met today have unanimously decided to contest the upcoming parliamentary election under his leadership. Premadasa revealed this decision during a press conference, emphasizing that the SJB parliamentary group, which met yesterday, also chose to move forward with their defeated leader.

Sajith Premadasa further stated that he will lead the SJB team in the upcoming parliamentary election as their prime ministerial candidate.

Meanwhile, in other developments, Ranil Wickremesinghe has announced that he will not contest the upcoming parliamentary elections and does not intend to enter Parliament through the national list. Wickremesinghe, who ran as an independent candidate using a gas cylinder as his symbol in the presidential election, has now decided to contest the next parliamentary election under the United National Party (UNP) symbol, the elephant, abandoning the Pohottuwa group that supported him during his presidential bid. He has also invited Sajith's SJB to join him. Although Ranil will not be a candidate, he intends to continue leading the UNP.

No Talks with Ranil – Sajith

When asked by reporters today about Ranil's position, Sajith Premadasa responded that anyone who aligns with the SJB’s principles is welcome to join him, but he emphasized that discussions with someone like Ranil are not possible.

When asked by journalists whether Ranil and Sajith could have won the presidential election if they had united, Sajith said that while a mathematical analysis might lead to such a conclusion, a deeper political analysis would show that it is not a realistic truth.

No Agreement Between Sajith and Ranil

Internal sources within the SJB suggest there is no possibility of a reconciliation between Sajith and Ranil. Sajith has reportedly said that there will be no agreement bearing both his and Ranil’s signatures.

Ranil’s Surprising Claim

Ranil, meanwhile, made an unusual statement to his close associates. He claimed that he has saved the country twice. When asked what he meant, Ranil explained that the first time was when he assumed the presidency during a crisis and saved the country, and the second time was during the last presidential election when he saved the country from Sajith.

The relevant video is available below