Samagi Jana Sandanaya to commence nation rebuilding program at annual party conference

• SJB confirms the conference will be held on 11 Dec. in Colombo
• National organiser Tissa Attanayake says SJB will oppose attempts to delay elections
• Party will launch a public petition demanding elections be held as scheduled

Samagi Jana Balawegaya’s (SJB) national organiser MP Tissa Attanayake says the annual party conference of the Samagi Jana Sandanaya, led by the party will be held on 11 December in Colombo. The conference has been titled as ‘The program to rebuild the fallen nation’. Attanayake said the third consecutive party conference is considered special as it is being held at a critical juncture for the country. “Therefore, all representatives and organisers according to electoral constituencies, local Government members and trade unionists will be invited for the event,” he said. 

Attanayake noted there are several issues plaguing the country currently. “The Government is attempting to deprive the people of their democratic right to choose their representatives and various proposals are being made to block elections from being held as scheduled,” he alleged.

“We cannot allow this. We demand the Government hold elections on the scheduled dates as a 

Government cannot violate the right of suffrage granted by the country’s Constitution,” he added. Attanayake said therefore he would like to remind the Government it must hold the local Government elections prior to 20 March 2023. “We will oppose any attempt to delay elections,” he said. 

Attanayake said as a first step, the party will launch a public petition demanding elections be held in a timely manner which will be handed over to the Election Commission of Sri Lanka after the gathering of signatures from MPs and the people. He also added that the SJB will take necessary legal action against the Government’s attempt to delay elections. “We will also seek international support to prevent this,” he said.