In the wake of certain Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) breakaway Parliamentarians joining the main Parliamentary Opposition, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) earlier this month (April), the Uttara Lanka Sabhagaya (Supreme Lanka Coalition - SLC), also formed by SLPP dissidents presently in the Opposition, said that it is yet premature to form alliances to contest the upcoming Presidential Election.

Speaking to the media at a press conference held yesterday (15), Opposition MP Gamini Waleboda said that the SLC has not taken any stance about the Presidential candidate whom they will support even though several discussions have been held with some Opposition parties on forming election related alliances. Stating that they have received invitations from certain SLPP MPs to join the party again, he said that no one in the SLC has taken a decision to do so. He also noted that discussions were held in the Parliament on several occasions with the SJB and that they were asked to decide on whether they would directly join the party or just join as a separate group to form an alliance. He stated that it is too premature to decide on the Presidential candidate and to form an alliance and that therefore, the SLC will decide it in the coming months.

Commenting on the internal political turmoil of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, MP Waleboda said that a group who are backed by certain external forces, including European countries, wants the SLFP to support the incumbent Government to stabilise their ‘falling' political career. He also claimed that former SLFP Chairman and President and incumbent Opposition MP Maithripala Sirisena, was ‘entrapped' by certain groups within the party and also opined that his (Sirisena’s) decision to remove former SLFP General Secretary and incumbent Opposition MP Dayasiri Jayasekara, was a mistake that expedited the party’s conflict.