Sri Lankan opposition UNP to contest parliamentary elections

Sri Lanka's opposition United National Party (UNP) on Saturday said it will contest the impending parliamentary elections in the country, days after its faction led by Sajith Premadasa forged an alliance with smaller parties.

Premadasa, the deputy leader of the UNP, on March 2 launched the new Samagi Janabala Wegaya or the United People's Force with the traditional minority Muslim and Tamil allies of UNP joining the coalition. The new alliance was launched despite an impasse over its symbol.

The alliance was formed amid speculation that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa would dissolve the Parliament this week, paving the way for snap elections in April, months ahead of the schedule.

President Rajapaksa, who named his elder brother and former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa as the prime minister of the caretaker cabinet in December, can now legally dissolve the Parliament and call an election. He had earlier said he wanted two-thirds seats in the 225-member assembly.

The main faction of the UNP led by former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has officially conveyed to the Elections Commission that they would be contesting the election.

The UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam on Monday wrote to the Elections Commission chief about the party's intention to contest the polls.

The move is contrary to the UNP's apex body's approval to form a broader opposition alliance under the leadership of Premadasa.

Meanwhile, analysts say it is becoming increasingly likely that the UNP would split as the leaders file nominations between March 15-22 to fight the polls.

Serious differences have emerged within the UNP as the Wickremesinghe camp and the Premadasa camp had not arrived at an agreement on the symbol.

The UNP has decided to contest the election under the 'elephant' symbol while Premadasa-led alliance wanted a different symbol.

The UNP working committee has approved Premadasa, who lost the presidential candidate in November, as the party's prime ministerial aspirant in the upcoming election.