UNP Kandy District Leader and Senior Vice President Naveen Dissanayake has called for a formal reunification between forces aligned with former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, arguing the country needed “the head of Ranil Wickremesinghe and the body of Sajith Premadasa” to create a political force capable of challenging the government.
Addressing UNP district electorate organisers and party activists at the Sri Pushpadana Society Hall in Kandy on Tuesday, Mr. Dissanayake said the opposition could not respond effectively to emerging developments without uniting with the majority of those who had previously belonged to the UNP, The Island reported.
“If we can come together with those who were once part of our own party, the road to victory will be much easier,” he said. “If we combine Ranil’s intellectual vision with Sajith’s grassroots strength, we can successfully embark on this new political journey.”
Mr. Dissanayake also disclosed his own ambition to contest for Chief Minister of the Central Province at future Provincial Council polls, noting the target could only be achieved if the two camps contested under a single nomination list. He described Mr. Wickremesinghe as the only leader capable of guiding the country forward.
Tuesday’s remarks extend his May 11 call for a formal UNP-SJB alliance, in which he insisted any merger be structured through a formal mechanism rather than personal verbal assurances. They also build on UNP Deputy General Secretary Harin Fernando’s proposal in May for a dual-leadership arrangement under Mr. Premadasa and Mr. Wickremesinghe, the most explicit public proposal yet from a senior UNP figure for a formal reunification six years after the SJB split from the UNP.
There has been no immediate response from the SJB. Among those attending the Kandy meeting were former Central Provincial Councillor Shanthini Kongahage, former Provincial Councillor J.M. Lafir, former Kandy Mayor Kesara Senanayake, Hewaheta UNP Organiser Aruna Ravishankar and former Gangawata Korale Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman D.M. Wijerathne.
