Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Harsha de Silva issued a strongly worded public statement on Tuesday night firmly denying that he is preparing to leave the opposition and join the government, while launching his most pointed attack yet on the National People’s Power administration’s economic record.
“Sri Lanka needs a new era,” de Silva declared, pledging to provide leadership to the “right-wing camp” and saying that those attempting to push him away from that political position would “never” succeed. He said his decisions were driven by a vision to build a developed Sri Lanka and not by “narrow political advantages,” adding that no family members are involved in his political work.
De Silva was blunt in his assessment of the current government, saying it had “failed” and lacked a forward-looking economic vision. He accused the administration of operating on “closed and narrow ideas not open to the world” and denied any discussions about crossing over. He accused certain groups of deliberately attempting to create divisions within the SJB by spreading false rumours and said he would intensify his political struggle in response.
He added that he was ready to “take on any major responsibility for the country when needed.”
The statement is de Silva’s second public denial within a week. Five days ago, the SJB denied SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam’s crossover claim and de Silva released a video message downplaying the speculation. Tuesday night’s statement is markedly sharper — where the May 7 denial was largely dismissive, the May 12 statement directly attacks NPP governance and frames de Silva as a leader-in-waiting for a rival political project.
De Silva chairs the Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance, through which he has pressed the Finance Ministry on the government’s economic management, including the USD 2.5 million Treasury cyber incident and Sri Lanka’s absence from the Indian Ocean Conference.
