Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that plans should be put in place to launch a nationwide campaign in January to “send the NPP government home”.

According to The Sunday Times, Wickremesinghe made the remarks during a meeting with young United National Party (UNP) politicians last week. During the discussion, he also expressed his willingness to resign as UNP leader to facilitate a long-delayed reunification with the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).

The disclosure was made at an informal gathering at a Colombo restaurant, where younger UNP members met the former president to convey their frustration over stalled merger talks. They stressed the urgent need to form a strong opposition bloc capable of challenging the current government, warning that they could not afford another five-year term in opposition after the next general election.

When directly asked whether his leadership was the main obstacle to the proposed merger, Wickremesinghe said he had no personal attachment to the position.

“I have no problem stepping down as leader. You should also convey this to the SJB. We have already taken up too much time with these negotiations,” he told the group.

He further noted that, having already served as president, he had reached the peak of his political career and had previously communicated this position to the party’s working committee.