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Samagi Jana Balawegaya

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB; Sinhala: සමගි ජන බලවේගය, romanized: Samagi Jana Balavēgaya, Tamil: ஐக்கிய மக்கள் சக்தி, romanized: Aikkiya Makkaḷ Cakti, English: United People's Power) is a political alliance[4][5] led by Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa.[6][7][8] It is the largest opposition coalition in the Parliament of Sri Lanka since 2020.

United People's Power
සමගි ජන බලවේගය
ஐக்கிய மக்கள் சக்தி
AbbreviationSJB
LeaderSajith Premadasa
ChairmanImthiaz Bakeer Markar
SecretaryKabir Hashim
SpokesmanS. M. Marikkar[1]
FounderSajith Premadasa
Founded10 February 2020 (4 years ago) (2020-02-10)
Split fromUnited National Party
Preceded byUnited National Front for Good Governance
Headquarters815, E W Perera Mw, Ethulkotte, Kotte[2]
Youth wingSamagi Tharuna Balawegaya
Women's wingSamagi Vanitha Balawegaya
IdeologyCentrism[3]
Big tent
Populism
Political positionCentre
Colors  Green
  Yellow
Sloganදිනමු (Dinamu)
('Let's win')
Parliament of Sri Lanka
40 / 225
Local Government
6 / 30
Election symbol
Telephone
Website
www.sjb.lk

The alliance was formed with the approval of the working committee of the United National Party (UNP)[9] 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 new alliance as a recognised political coalition in Sri Lanka. Ranjith Madduma Bandara was named as the general secretary of the party.[10] 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.[11]

The alliance won 54 seats and became the main opposition just six months after its formation.[12] While the alliance traces its political views to the liberal-conservative principles of the UNP, some members of the Sri Lankan media have argued that the SJB has gradually moved to the progressive and democratic political centre over time, and even espouses several social democratic (centre-left) ideals.[13][14]

History

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On 30 January 2020, the United National Party working committee approved Sajith Premadasa as leader of the new alliance and its prime ministerial candidate.[15] 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.[16]

On 19 February, the United National Party working committee approved a swan for the symbol of a new UNP-led alliance.[17]

On 2 March, the SJB was officially launched at Nelum Pokuna Colombo.[18] 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.[19] On 14 February 2020, both Premadasa and 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.[20] 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.[21] On 20 August, SJB leader Sajith Premadasa was inaugurated as the Leader of the Opposition.[22]

Other participants

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The Jathika Hela Urumaya, Tamil Progressive Alliance, and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress agreed to join the new alliance on 12 February 2020.[23]

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.[24] This alliance was launched as the Samagi Jana Sandanaya, and nominated party leader Sajith Premadasa as its candidate in the 2024 presidential elections.[25]

Overview

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Member parties

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The Samagi Jana Balawegaya consists of the following parties.

Symbol

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The alliance announced that a landline telephone would be its electoral symbol on 10 March 2020.

Wings

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  • Youth wing – Samagi Tharuna Balawegaya[26]
  • Women's wing – Samagi Vanitha Balawegaya[27]
  • Veteran’s wing – Samagi Ranawiru Balawegaya

Leadership

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Name Portrait Period
Sajith Premadasa
 
 2020–present

Secretary

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Chairman

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Electoral history

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Presidential

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Election Candidate First round Second round Result Ref
Votes % Votes %
2024 Sajith Premadasa 4,363,035 32.75% 4,530,902 44.11% Lost [30]

Parliamentary

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Election Leader Votes Seats Result Ref
No. % No. +/– %
2020 Sajith Premadasa 2,771,984 23.90%
54 / 225
   54 24.00% Opposition [31]
2024 1,968,716 17.66%
40 / 225
   14 17.78% Opposition

Local Authorities

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Election Leader Votes Councillors Local Authorities Ref
No. % No. +/–
2024 (Elpitiya) Sajith Premadasa 7,924 21.83%
6 / 30
   6
0 / 1
 [32]

References

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  1. ^ "Marikkar appointed as SJB spokesperson!". Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  2. ^ a b "New headquarters of 'Samagi Jana Balawegaya' opened". Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  3. ^ "Samagi Jana Balawegaya: A change agent?". Daily FT. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  4. ^ Thushi (10 February 2020). "Sajith's alliance to be named 'Samagi Jana Balawegaya' with the 'heart' as its symbol". english.theleader.lk. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  5. ^ "Samagi Jana Balawegaya - Official Website". Samagi Jana Balawegaya. Archived from the original on 22 April 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Sajith Premadasa forms new political party for General Election". I Lanka News. 11 February 2020. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  7. ^ "Premadasa-faction forms Samagi Jana Balawegaya". www.dailymirror.lk. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  8. ^ "Sajith's new alliance to be named 'Samagi Jana Balawegaya'". english.newstube.lk. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  9. ^ "Ranil to continue as UNP leader, Sajith named leader of alliance and PM candidate". www.adaderana.lk. Archived from the original on 31 January 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  10. ^ "Madduma Bandara confirmed as General Secretary of new alliance". Colombo Gazette. 5 February 2020. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  11. ^ "Patali, Mano, Hakeem to join Sajith's new alliance". www.dailymirror.lk. Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  12. ^ "SLPP sweeps polls and secures 145 seats, SJB gets 54". 7 August 2020. Archived from the original on 12 April 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  13. ^ Jayatilleka, Dr. Dayan (2021). "In defence of the SJB | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  14. ^ Mendis, Dr. Mahim (2021). "Emergence of SJB as vanguard for social democracy: Message to distractionists | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  15. ^ "UNP names Sajith as PM candidate, Sajith to lead new alliance". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 30 January 2020. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  16. ^ "JHU, TPA, SLMC to support new Sajith-led Alliance". telugu.ucnews.in.
  17. ^ "UNP Working Committee approves the Swan symbol". www.lankanewsweb.net. Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  18. ^ "Sajith invites UNP MPs to join SJB". www.dailymirror.lk. Archived from the original on 24 September 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  19. ^ "Sri Lanka : UNP appoints Sajith as the leader of new alliance and Prime Ministerial candidate". www.colombopage.com. Archived from the original on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  20. ^ "Proposal from Ranil: Contest under the 'Swan' and to appoint Karu as general secretary". english.newstube.lk. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  21. ^ "Parliamentary General Election 2020 Results - Adaderana". Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  22. ^ "Speaker recognizes Sajith as Opposition Leader". Archived from the original on 24 September 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  23. ^ "JHU, Tamil Progressive Alliance and SLMC to support Sajith's Alliance". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 12 February 2020.
  24. ^ "G.L. Peiris to build a broad opposition force with SJB". 17 December 2023. Archived from the original on 24 September 2024. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  25. ^ "Sajith confirmed as Samagi Jana Sandanaya's common Presidential candidate | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Archived from the original on 17 May 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  26. ^ "Youth wing". Archived from the original on 10 September 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  27. ^ "Women's wing".
  28. ^ a b "SJB : Imthiaz, Kabir & Harshana get new positions". Newswire. 27 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  29. ^ "Sarath Fonseka resigns as SJB's Chairman". www.adaderana.lk. Archived from the original on 10 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  30. ^ "Presidential Election Results – 2024". Election Commission of Sri Lanka. 22 September 2024. Archived from the original on 26 October 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  31. ^ "Parliament Election 2020 – Votes, Seats and National List Seats by Party – All Island" (PDF). Election Commission of Sri Lanka. 7 August 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 July 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  32. ^ "Local Authorities Elections - 2024/10/26 - Final Results of the Council" (PDF). Election Commission of Sri Lanka. 26 October 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 October 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
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