Madduma Bandara: 90 percent of UNP members in Sajith alliance
Samagi Jana Balavegaya General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara said the alliance had informed the National Election Commission of fielding candidates in all 22 districts.
Here is a Q & A:
Why the SJB is contesting on its own:
We are not contesting on our own, we are contesting as an alliance; we are acting according to the UNP
Working Committee decision. The UNP Working Committee decided to contest the election as a broad alliance. We are the UNP too, 90 percent of the UNP is with our alliance. We are UNP and we are following the working committee decisions.
The SJB nomination board:
We have picked a nomination board; some of the members are Sajith Premadasa (Chairman), Malik Samarawickrema, Mangala Samaraweera, Imtiaz Bakeer Markar and Lakshman Kiriella.
Around 90 percent of our nomination list is ready. We have finalised the nomination lists for 10 districts. We plan to finalise the nominations tomorrow.
On action against them by the UNP:
The UNP cannot act against us. We are following the working committee decisions. The few who are remaining there are the ones who are working against the working committee decision. They are the ones who are breaking the party law.
They should join us. Our doors are still open for them. However, if they contest alone the people will give them the reply they deserve at the general election.
On victory at the polls:
The present government has failed on major issues; therefore, we are confident that we will win more votes. If the UNP contests separately we will have more votes than it, but still the UNP has time to join us.
Handing over the nominations:
We will hand over nominations on March 18 or 19. Our first election rally will be in Kandy, but a date has not yet been fixed.