• Says SL needs a merit-based political system
• Initial discussion already held

A new political party named “The United Republic Front” is being formed and will be launched next month, Opposition Parliamentarian, and “43rd Brigade” political movement leader Patali Champika Ranawaka said.

Ranawaka told The Daily Morning that measures are currently underway to form a new political party by May this year.

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP, said that Sri Lanka is now in need of a merit-based political system through which the prevailing bankruptcy can be overcome. To that end, he said that a new political party named the United Republic Front would be launched in May.

“We need a merit-based political system which will end the political system which is based on family inheritances. We also need to put an end to politics in which the public’s votes are obtained by giving bribes. We need a new political movement to take the country forward, as opposed to the outdated socialist-capitalist ideology," he said.

Sources within the 43rd Brigade told The Sunday Morning that initial discussions with regard to the formation of the said political party have already been held with the relevant parties including existing political and civil movements.

The 43rd Brigade and the New Lanka Freedom Party (NLFP), led by Opposition MP Kumara Welgama had recently come to an agreement to compete together for the upcoming Local Government (LG) elections. They had also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with regard to the same.

Speaking to the media on an earlier occasion, Ranawaka said that the creation of a middle path by joining the independent forces in Parliament without succumbing to the slogans of the extreme left and extreme right wing political parties has become the need of the hour. "Today we hear slogans from the extreme left and we also hear slogans from the extreme right-wing political parties. In the midst of that, we must try to create a middle path by bringing together all the independent forces present in Parliament. I wish that the NLFP will have the ability, strength and courage to bring such forces together and create such a path," he said.