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Sajith not interested in UNP; Ranil says ‘No’ to National List
View(s):United National Party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday ruled out any possibility of appointing himself as the sole National List MP from his party, saying it, however, did not mean he was quitting public life altogether.
He told the Sunday Times that the party seniors were still discussing whom to appoint as the party’s National List MP and admitted the party suffered a major setback at Wednesday’s general election.
In a statement issued on Friday, the UNP said the party is prepared to accept the responsibility for failures and shortcomings, both the result of its own actions and the actions of others.
The Sunday Times learns that the UNP’s legal secretary Nissanka Nanayakkara is being considered as the party’s National List nominee.
Mr Wickremesinghe, who lost his own seat in Parliament, also ruled out immediate negotiations with the breakaway UNPers of the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) which won 54 seats and caused the whitewash of the UNP at the polls. He said the SJB was a separate political party and the courts had confirmed this.
SJB spokesman Eran Wickramaratne told a media conference on Friday that the SJB had created history by becoming the main opposition party in the shortest period since its formation.
SJB leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday declared that he would not join the UNP even if he was offered the party leadership and he had no plans to capture the UNP headquarters ‘SiriKotha’.
Addressing a news conference, he pointed out that SJB had become the only political alternative of the country following the election results. He said his party would not mind if any other group wished to join the SJB if they agree on the policies of the party.
Mr Premadasa claimed he never said that the SJB would capture the UNP headquarters “Siri Kotha” but added that the SJB would be take the responsibility of being the alternative political party of Sri Lanka.
He said he was content with the achievement the party made after a short period of time. However, he assumed he would have been more satisfied if the SJB was able to form a government.