Talks between the SJB and the UNP on contesting the upcoming general election together have collapsed due to a condition laid down by the former.
Ruwan Wijeywardena and Lakshman Fonseka had been having several rounds of talks on forming an alliance.
As a precondition, the SJB had demanded Ranil Wickremesinghe be replaced by Wijewardena as the UNP leader.
Wickremesinghe was to meet SJB leader Sajith Premadasa at Wijewardena’s home on Friday afternoon for talks.
However, Premadasa didn’t attend and he was represented by his advisor Fonseka and SJB general secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara.
There, the UNP leader has consented to contest the election under the SJB’s ‘telephone’ symbol and to appoint Wijewardena as the acting leader in order for him to lead the campaign.
However, the SJB representatives questioned Wickremesinghe’s sincerity and kept on demanding that he stepped down.
Several former MPs of both parties have refused to contest again if there is no alliance between the two parties.
