Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Colombo District MP S.M. Marikkar said the party is open to reviving discussions with the United National Party (UNP) following the outcome of the upcoming Local Government elections scheduled for May 6.
Marikkar told the Sunday Observer that the party would evaluate the election results and reconsider its political strategy based on the outcome. “The Southern camp must unite as a solution against the Leftist camp.
The SJB cannot win alone, that is the truth,” he said, underscoring the need for a broader Opposition coalition.
Reflecting on earlier efforts to form an alliance with the UNP, Marikkar acknowledged that past discussions had failed due to impractical proposals.
“We realised after the parliamentary election that the Opposition must merge to face the Government. We started discussions with the UNP, but it did not work out. Proposals presented at such talks must be practical” he said.
He said that the earlier talks were not focused on the Local Government polls but aimed at a longer-term strategy leading up to the next parliamentary elections in four and a half years. “We are targeting that,” he said, adding that the SJB is preparing for a more consolidated and competitive future.
