United National Party (UNP) National Organiser Naveen Dissanayake says the time has come for the UNP and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) to work together to build a strong opposition.
Speaking at a media briefing in Nuwara Eliya on 15 July, Dissanayake said recent discussions between UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa had laid the foundation for broader cooperation between the two parties.
“The most important thing is for the UNP and the SJB to come together and form a major opposition in this country. This is not about disrupting existing groups. I believe we now have a basic foundation to achieve that,” he said.
Dissanayake added that the Ceylon Workers’ Congress, the SJB and the UNP could work together, arguing that there is no future for opposition groups contesting separately.
Commenting on plantation workers, he said the government’s decision to increase the daily wage by Rs. 700 was insufficient given the rising cost of living. He noted that discussions on introducing a productivity-based wage system had taken place during his tenure as Minister of Plantation Industries and claimed greater relief could have been provided if the UNP had remained in power.
On corruption, Dissanayake said the UNP supports taking legal action against those responsible through due process without political bias.
“We also want to catch thieves and corrupt people. The UNP is clearly on that side,” he said, while accusing the government of using anti-corruption efforts to target political opponents.
Referring to the recent prison incident, Dissanayake said it had exposed the government’s inefficiency and questioned the decision to transfer a special team to Welikada Prison.
He described the transfer as an unusual and reckless decision and said the Minister of Justice, the Secretary to the Ministry of Justice and other responsible officials should be held accountable for the deaths of 31 people.
