Samagi Jana Balawegaya

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United People's Power
සමගි ජනබලවේගය
ஐக்கிய மக்கள் சக்தி
AbbreviationSJB
Parliament of Sri Lanka
59 / 225
Election symbol
Telephone
Website
www.sjb.lk

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB; Sinhala: සමගි ජනබලවේගය, romanized: Samagi Janabalavēgaya, Tamil: ஐக்கிய மக்கள் சக்தி, romanized: Aikkiya Makkaḷ Cakti, 'United People's Power') is a political alliance[3][4] led by Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa.[5][6][7] It is the largest opposition party in the Parliament of Sri Lanka since 2020.

The alliance was formed with the approval of the working committee of the United National Party (UNP)[8] to contest in the 2020 Sri Lankan parliamentary election. On 11 February 2020, the election commission of Sri Lanka announced that they had accepted the party as a recognised political party in Sri Lanka. Ranjith Madduma Bandara was named as the general secretary of the party.[9] Other minor political parties like the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) joined the new alliance on 12 February 2020.[10]

The alliance won 54 seats and became the main opposition just six months after its formation.

social democratic (centre-left) ideals.[12][13]

History

On 30 January 2020, the United National Party working committee approved Sajith Premadasa as leader of the new alliance and its prime ministerial candidate.[14] On 11 February, the Election Commission accepted the appointment of Opposition Leader Premadasa as the leader of Samagi Jana Balawegaya and Ranjith Madduma Bandara as General Secretary. On 13 February, the Jathika Hela Urumaya, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and Tamil Progressive Alliance announced their support for the new alliance.[15]

On 19 February, the United National Party working committee approved a swan for the symbol of a new UNP-led alliance.[16]

On 2 March, the SJB was officially launched at Nelum Pokuna Colombo.[17] On 9 March, the alliance opened its headquarters in Ethulkotte, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte,[2] and on the next day selected a telephone as its election symbol. The alliance handed in its nominations for 25 districts on 19 March for the 2020 general elections, the party's first election.

In May 2020, the Samagi Tharuna Balawegaya (youth wing) and Samagi Vanitha Balawegaya (women's wing) were launched.

Out of 77 UNP MPs, 52 joined the new alliance led by Premadasa. The working committee approved Premadasa as the leader of the alliance and gave him the power to chair the nomination board for the upcoming general elections in 2020.

Ranil Wickramasinghe agreed to contest the elections under the swan symbol and file nominations under Samagi Jana Balawegaya to avoid a division in the United National Party.[19]
At the last moment, however, the SJB withdrew from the agreement and a majority of its members signed nominations under the telephone symbol. Approximately 75 members of parliament joined the alliance. A minority of UNP members filed nominations under the elephant symbol.

In the 2020 parliamentary elections held on 5 August, the alliance won 54 seats, thus becoming the main opposition party of the country.[20] On 20 August, SJB leader Sajith Premadasa was inaugurated as the Leader of the Opposition.[21]

Other participants

The Jathika Hela Urumaya, Tamil Progressive Alliance, and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress agreed to join the new alliance on 12 February 2020.[22]

In December 2023, the SJB announced that they would form an alliance in 2024 with other political parties, including the Freedom People's Congress, a breakaway party of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna led by its former chairman G. L. Peiris.[23] This alliance was launched as the Samagi Jana Sandanaya, and nominated party leader Sajith Premadasa as its candidate in the 2024 presidential elections.[24]

Overview

Member parties

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya consists of the following parties.

Symbol

The alliance announced that a

landline telephone
would be its electoral symbol on 10 March 2020.

Wings

  • Youth wing – Samagi Tharuna Balawegaya[25]
  • Women's wing – Samagi Vanitha Balawegaya[26]
  • Veteran’s wing – Samagi Ranawiru Balawegaya

Leadership

Party leader

Name Portrait Period
Sajith Premadasa
2020–present

Chairman

Secretary

Electoral history

Parliamentary

Election year Votes % Seats won +/– Leader Result for the party
2020 2,771,984 23.9%
54 / 225
 Increase 54 Sajith Premadasa Opposition

References

  1. ^ "Marikkar appointed as SJB spokesperson!".
  2. ^ a b "New headquarters of 'Samagi Jana Balawegaya' opened".
  3. ^ Thushi (10 February 2020). "Sajith's alliance to be named 'Samagi Jana Balawegaya' with the 'heart' as its symbol". english.theleader.lk. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  4. ^ "Samagi Jana Balawegaya - Official Website". Samagi Jana Balawegaya. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Sajith Premadasa forms new political party for General Election". I Lanka News. 11 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  6. ^ "Premadasa-faction forms Samagi Jana Balawegaya". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  7. ^ "Sajith's new alliance to be named 'Samagi Jana Balawegaya'". english.newstube.lk. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  8. ^ "Ranil to continue as UNP leader, Sajith named leader of alliance and PM candidate". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  9. ^ "Madduma Bandara confirmed as General Secretary of new alliance". Colombo Gazette. 5 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  10. ^ "Patali, Mano, Hakeem to join Sajith's new alliance". www.dailymirror.lk.
  11. ^ "SLPP sweeps polls and secures 145 seats, SJB gets 54". 7 August 2020.
  12. ^ Jayatilleka, Dr. Dayan (2021). "In defence of the SJB | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  13. ^ Mendis, Dr. Mahim (2021). "Emergence of SJB as vanguard for social democracy: Message to distractionists | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  14. ^ "UNP names Sajith as PM candidate, Sajith to lead new alliance". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 30 January 2020.
  15. ^ "JHU, TPA, SLMC to support new Sajith-led Alliance". telugu.ucnews.in.
  16. ^ "UNP Working Committee approves the Swan symbol". www.lankanewsweb.net.
  17. ^ "Sajith invites UNP MPs to join SJB". www.dailymirror.lk.
  18. ^ "Sri Lanka : UNP appoints Sajith as the leader of new alliance and Prime Ministerial candidate". www.colombopage.com.
  19. ^ "Proposal from Ranil: Contest under the 'Swan' and to appoint Karu as general secretary". english.newstube.lk.
  20. ^ "Parliamentary General Election 2020 Results - Adaderana".
  21. ^ "Speaker recognizes Sajith as Opposition Leader".
  22. ^ "JHU, Tamil Progressive Alliance and SLMC to support Sajith's Alliance". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 12 February 2020.
  23. ^ "G.L. Peiris to build a broad opposition force with SJB". 17 December 2023.
  24. ^ "Sajith confirmed as Samagi Jana Sandanaya's common Presidential candidate | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  25. ^ "Youth wing".
  26. ^ "Women's wing".
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