Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP S.M. Marikkar has accused President Ranil Wickremesinghe of plotting to appoint Sagala Rathnayake as the next Mayor of Colombo, dismissing the move as part of a larger plan to dismantle the SJB and its leadership.
“Let’s be clear—Ranil Wickremesinghe has two goals. One is to destroy the Samagi Jana Balawegaya. The other is to make Sagala Rathnayake the Mayor of Colombo. But we are not fools to fall for such traps,” Marikkar said at a press briefing yesterday.
He criticised recent comments by Thalatha Atukorale, who blamed SJB leader Sajith Premadasa for the current political unrest. Marikkar alleged that Atukorale herself was one of the key figures who persuaded Premadasa to break away from the United National Party (UNP) and form the SJB.
“She was there with me and Manusha Nanayakkara when we met Sajith at Sirikotha and urged him to form a new party. Now she points fingers? The public deserves to know the truth,” he said.
According to Marikkar, early attempts to unite the right-wing political base through discussions with the UNP were met with insincerity. “Sajith was open to talks. But Ranil has always had hidden agendas. Back in 2007, during crucial talks about supporting the war, he brought in Ravi Karunanayake just to sabotage the discussions. That led to 17 MPs crossing over to Mahinda Rajapaksa.”
He warned that the same tactics are being used again. “This time the goal is to weaken the SJB ahead of the local government elections, install a UNP Mayor in Colombo, and clear the path for Ranil’s allies. But are we that naïve? Are we crazy enough to agree to everything they demand?”
Marikkar went on to claim that Wickremesinghe’s silence ahead of the presidential election was deliberate. “If the UNP genuinely wanted unity, they should have reached out before the election. Instead, Ranil helped Anura Kumara Dissanayake win just to defeat Sajith and pull the SJB down with him.”
He emphasised that while the SJB remains open to future discussions with the UNP’s right-wing faction, they will not entertain backdoor deals or one-sided arrangements. “We won’t let anyone erase the SJB. We’re still willing to talk—but not on their terms.”
