Thirty MPs of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna are in talks with the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) about joining forces, SJB legislator Ashok Abeysinghe said.
Speaking to reporters at an event in Kurunegala on Sunday March 10, Abeysinghe said five out of 11 SLPP parliamentarians that were elected from the Kurunegala district will team up with the SJB for the upcoming elections.
“We don’t intend to accept any MP from the SLPP. We only plan to take MPs without corruption charges and don’t have any court cases. Even now about 30 MPs are talking to us about forming an alliance with us,” the MP said.
“In the next few weeks, the media and the country will know who that is,” he added.
The SJB has been harshly critical of President Ranil Wickremesinghe for working with the SLPP, on whose support he has had to rely on since assuming office. Wickremesinghe has extended repeated invitations to opposition parties including the SJB to assist him in his economics reform agenda, but the SJB has refused citing his alliance with the SLPP.
Meanwhile, State Minister Arundika Fernando said on Wednesday March 06 that a large majority of the parliamentary group of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) believe that President Ranil Wickremesinghe should run for president.
Fernando claimed the SLPP’s parliamentary group overwhelmingly believes that President Wickremesinghe should be the one to govern the country going forward.
That same day, amid speculation over the possibility of an early dissolution of parliament, President Wickremesinghe joked to SJB legislator Harsha de Silva that the chairmanship of a parliamentary committee the latter heads may not last much longer.
Sri Lanka is supposed to hold its next presidential election between September 17 and October 17. President Wickremesinghe has said the presidential election will be held first, followed by a parliamentary election next year. However, he has remained largely noncommital about his candidacy.
Spokespersons for the government have also made remarks about the possibility of abolishing the executive presidency, which would effectively render the need for a presidential election moot.
There is also some speculation that Wickremesinghe might dissolve parliament sooner than anticipated, but this has yet to be confirmed.