Coalition talks between the UNP and the SJB have collapsed due to the latter’s condition that Ranil Wickremesinghe should immediately step down from party leadership.
UNP deputy leader Ruwan Wijewardena and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa’s advisor Lakshman Fonseka have so far held eight rounds of talks.
UNP sources said the dialogue cannot go forward due to the SJB’s condition.
At talks last Friday, Wickremesinghe agreed to contest the general election under the SJB’s ‘telephone’ symbol and to give Wijewardena the campaign leadership.
Premadasa has already reached agreements with the parties that supported him in the past two years.
Also, he has questioned Wickremesinghe’s sincerity and maintained he stepped down.
However, the UNP considers a majority of the votes Wickremesinghe received at the presidential polls was his personal vote base and rules out any alliance without him.
Meanwhile, the UNP says it will decide today its symbol to contest the election - ‘elephant’ or ‘gas cylinder’.
In the meantime, a party Bala Mandala meeting in Neluwa on 28 September adopted a proposal that Wickremesinghe should remain as their leader.
Nevertheless, UNP’s Saman Ratnapriya believes space remains for further talks with the SJB.
In the meantime, SJB’s Harshana Rajakaruna said in Gampaha that they had repeatedly asked Wickremesinghe to have a dignified retirement.
In another development, the TPA politburo met yesterday and decided to contest under the SJB-led alliance.
IAK’s M.A. Sumanthiran said they were considering contesting areas other that the northeast where there is a significant presence of Tamils.
