Navin calls for formal alliance between UNP and SJB

Navin Dissanayake, the Vice President of the UNP and leader for the Kandy District, emphasized on Saturday that any merger between the UNP and SJB should be done formally instead of informally. During a media briefing in Kandy, he stated that a clear plan is necessary to successfully unite the two parties before upcoming elections. “We need to create a formal process for the unification of the UNP and SJB. This cannot be based on personal promises made for individual gain. We must establish a solid framework to compete in future elections as one united group,” he remarked. He also noted that the UNP could only regain its political influence by coming together with groups that had separated from the party. Dissanayake asserted that the Government would have to conduct Provincial Council elections due to increasing pressure from both international and local sources. “India is pushing for these elections, and the people in the North are also calling for governance through the Provincial Council system. They are waiting for the elections,” he explained. Sharing his political ambitions, Dissanayake mentioned his intention to run as the Chief Ministerial candidate for the Central Province in the next Provincial Council election. “I plan to contest for the Chief Minister position for the Central Province. Having been a Governor, I know how much can be done for the people through a Provincial Council,” he stated. Reflecting on the history of constitutional devolution, Dissanayake recalled that his late father, Gamini Dissanayake, had a key role in introducing the 13th Amendment to Sri Lanka's Constitution.