Patali Champika Ranawaka has called for Ranil Wickremesinghe to step down as leader of the United National Party (UNP) if the party hopes to form an alliance with the Sajith Premadasa-led Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).
Ranawaka said that Ruwan Wijewardene should assume the leadership of the UNP in such a scenario.
In response to a question from the Sunday Observer regarding the alliance between the UNP and the SJB ahead of the upcoming General Election, Ranawaka said that the UNP, now a smaller political force compared to the SJB, should leave the decision to the larger party.
“It is indeed up to the Samagi Jana Balawegaya to decide whether they should accept the offer from the UNP to work together,” he said.
This follows the recent dissolution of Parliament by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, clearing the path for a snap General Election on November 14, as outlined in an official gazette notification. The newly elected Parliament is scheduled to convene on November 21.
When asked about his own political future under the SJB, Ranawaka said that he had not aligned himself with the party. “I was part of the Samagi Jana Bala Sandhanaya, not the SJB,” he said.
Referring to the policies of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) Government, Ranawaka said that he was not fully convinced by their manifesto.
“I will not hesitate to support him (President Dissanayake) on matters of national importance,” he said. According to Ranawaka, the NPP’s policy paper was lacking clear structural principles, whether communist or liberalist.
Regarding Sri Lanka’s ongoing debt crisis, Ranawaka said that finalising debt restructuring would lead to more challenges, as the repayment burdens increase.
Asked what if the NPP might seek closer ties with China due to its Communist state model, Ranawaka debunked the idea, adding that Sri Lanka, given its financial crisis, is not in a position to pursue any special policy alignment with China.
He said that President Dissanayake would do well to maintain a non-aligned foreign policy, balancing relations with India and the United States.
