Friday Dec 19, 2025
Friday Dec 19, 2025
Friday, 19 December 2025 00:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
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| UNP Leader and ex- President Ranil Wickremesinghe |
United National Party (UNP) leader and Ex-President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said he is willing to relinquish the party leadership if his continued presence becomes an obstacle to unity between the UNP and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).
Wickremesinghe made these remarks at the UNP Executive Committee meeting held on Wednesday (17) at Sirikotha, the party’s headquarters in Pitakotte. He reportedly told the committee that he would not stand in the way of stepping down if an agreement is reached to merge with the SJB.
Talks aimed at cooperation between the two parties are currently under way. The UNP has appointed a committee comprising Deputy leader Ruwan Wijewardene, General Secretary Thalatha Athukorala and National Organiser Sagala Ratnayaka, while the SJB delegation is led by Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.
Wickremesinghe noted that he has yet to receive a formal update on the progress of the discussions but urged that the talks be concluded without delay, stressing that there was little time to prolong the process.
He told the Executive Committee that Opposition parties should move towards unity from next year to build a broad-based political force capable of challenging the Government and called for the ongoing negotiations to be expedited.
The former President also said that if an understanding is reached to bring the UNP and SJB together, and if the UNP Executive Committee proposes that Sajith Premadasa or another individual assume the leadership, he would raise no objections.
Reiterating his support for a UNP–SJB alliance, Wickremesinghe said he was prepared to step down at any time if it facilitates such unity, adding that he had already served as party leader and as President during one of the country’s most challenging periods, and that making way for a broader consensus would not be an issue, provided the matter is resolved swiftly.
