Friday Jan 10, 2025
Friday Jan 10, 2025
Friday, 10 January 2025 00:59 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa
SJB Chairman Imthiaz Bakeer Markar
SJB Vice Chairman MP Gayantha Karunatilake
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has decided to restructure the party by giving much emphasis to the recommendations proposed by its Chairman Imthiaz Bakeer Markar.
SJB Vice Chairman and parliamentarian Gayantha Karunatilake said the decision of restructuring the party was taken by the SJB’s management committee meeting early this week.
He told the Daily FT that among other issues discussed at the meeting were strengthening party membership to face the forthcoming local government elections, preparing the nomination lists, and criteria of selecting candidates and other pertaining issues.
Karunatilake, who is also the Chief Opposition Whip in Parliament, said SJB’s working committee will be called to appoint a committee to look into restructuring the SJB, next week.
SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara also confirmed that the SJB has accepted the 12 recommendations by Markar, which will strengthen the party to face forthcoming elections and to win the trust of its membership.
The 12 recommendations suggested by Markar intended to bring several changes to the party. Among recommendations are holding all party meetings in an organised manner, a single stand on party opinions, making decisions and functioning as a party, timely progress reviews at all levels and a mechanism for student and youth movement members to rise up the ladder.
Raising political awareness among new voters and deciding candidate selection yardsticks for local government and provincial council polls with at least 25% representation of youths and women, proper communication with regard to social media and a political dialogue targeting youths and internal democracy by holding party elections on time are also included in the list.
Informed sources told the Daily FT that several heavyweights of the party are negotiating for a merger between the SJB and the United National Party (UNP).
“Some senior members of the SJB are disappointed with the way the party records defeats. We have lost four major elections. If we want to have a significant power in local governments the SJB and the UNP have to be merged. We are having a dialogue with the senior politicians at the moment,” they said, adding that some of the main positions will also be changed in the process of restructuring the party.
