The UNP will launch its new political alliance shortly, bringing multiple political parties under a common umbrella, to contest future elections. At present, final touches are being made to the blueprint to launch the new political alliance. All constituent parties in the United National Front Government and other new political parties and a number of Civil Society organisations will join the new alliance.
In addition, a group of SLFP and the UPFA members have also expressed their willingness to join the new alliance in due course, UNP General Secretary and Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam told the Sunday Observer yesterday.
The Minister said drafting the Constitution of the new political alliance had already been completed and will be registered soon, as a new political organisation, to contest future elections.
This broad political alliance will be committed to ensuring democracy, the Rule of Law and other fundamentals of representative government, he said.
Meanwhile, UNP sources confirmed that the preliminary negotiations with many of the constituent parties in the United National Front Government such as the Jathika Hela Urumya (JHU), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) and the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA), have since been completed.
They said several prominent SLFP members are also expected to throw their weight behind the new alliance.
The sources said the parties which rally round the NDF have identified the ‘diamond’ as the most desired symbol to contest future elections and added that there is no final agreement on the symbol as yet.