Friday Sep 20, 2024
Friday Sep 20, 2024
Tuesday, 16 May 2023 00:35 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Former Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Mujibur Rahman yesterday suggested that party Vice President P. Harrison left the party to join President Ranil Wickremesinghe in search of greener pastures.
“There is talk of new governors being appointed. He has now suddenly decided to extend his support to Ranil Wickremesinghe. Perhaps he hopes he will be appointed as a governor,” Rahman said.
Rahman noted that Harrison abandoned Wickremesinghe when he lost power in 2019. “Now how can he sing praises of the same Ranil when he is President?” he asked. “We do not understand this. But what we do understand is that he has joined to either obtain a position as a governor, a chairman or a director of a Government agency,” he added.
Meanwhile, commenting on Harrison’s defection, SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara opined that one cannot be successful in politics by crossing over.
On Sunday Harrison announced his decision to resign from all posts in the party to rejoin his former political party, the United National Party (UNP) and extend his unconditional support to President Ranil Wickremesinghe. He also revealed that many other SJB members will also follow suit shortly.
He claimed he was unsatisfied with SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa’s leadership and was therefore leaving the party. Madduma Bandara said when Harrison joined the SJB in 2019 he made similar remarks about UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.
“No pradeshiya sabha members of the SJB will leave the party with Harrison as claimed. All grassroots-level public representatives and supporters are with the SJB,” he said. Madduma Bandara opined that Harrison was committing political suicide by rejoining the UNP. “He has made an incorrect decision,” he noted.
