SJB claims to be swamped by applicants wanting to contest LG polls under its banner

SJB General Secretary MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara says his party has been inundated with applications for nominations to contest at the upcoming Local Government elections.

Madduma Bandara said that the SJB had interviewed candidates for the second day on Tuesday at the party head office at Pitakotte. The SJB had made all necessary preparations to contest the election, he said. “The interviews will continue in the coming week as well,” he said.

Addressing the media at the Opposition Leader’s office in Colombo, the SJB General Secretary said the government was afraid of facing an election and continuing to employ various tactics to delay it.

“They are now claiming they do not have funds. If they act according to the Auditor General’s recommendation to recover funds misappropriated through the sugar tax scam, only one-fifth of it will be needed to spend on the polls,” he said.

Madduma Bandara said that the government was attempting to suppress the people’s democratic right to vote.  “We will fight for the democratic rights of the people. The mandates given in 2019 and 2020 have been rejected. The current President has no mandate.

“If there are no funds, international organisations are willing to assist us. We ask the government to approach them and hold the elections as scheduled,” Madduma Bandara said.