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Sajith’s mother met Thiru Nadesan and SLPP Leader: Wimal Weerawansa

05 May 2022

  • Wimal alleges Opposition Leader struck deal to destabilise Opposition
  • Premadasa vehemently denies such meeting took place
National Freedom Front (NFF) Leader MP Wimal Weerawansa alleged that Samagi Jana Balawegeya (SJB) and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa had reneged on an agreement that had been brokered during a meeting between the latter’s mother – former first lady Hema Premadasa – and one of the leaders of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP); a deal that would see the SJB Leader supporting Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) nominee MP Ranjith Siyambalapitiya for the post of Deputy Speaker. While alleging that the said deal had been struck at a meeting that was facilitated by controversial businessman Thirukumar Nadesan, Weerawansa claimed that SJB Leader Premadasa had instead nominated SJB MP Imthiaz Bakeer Markar for the post of Deputy Speaker. “If he had informed us that he would be fielding a candidate, we could have not put forth a candidate. Only at the last minute did they decide to nominate SJB MP Imthiaz Bakeer Markar. Why was that? The reason is the meeting between Hema Premadasa and businessman Thirukumar Nadesan, where he facilitated a meeting between her and a leadership figure of the SLPP.  “They held a secret discussion and this was the result. This clearly shows that Sajith Premadasa is carrying out a Rajapaksa family contract. Before telling anyone to ‘go home’, the people must start a village saying ‘Puthano Go Home’,” Weerawansa charged at a press conference yesterday (5). He went on to claim that Premadasa was intentionally destabilising the Opposition, as illustrated by the fact that he was not able to rally the Opposition parties around him, as the three MPs of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna-led National People’s Power abstained from voting due to this inadequacy. Responding to the allegation about meeting Nadesan, which was also made in Parliament by another NFF MP, Premadasa said yesterday that no such meeting had taken place. “Strike it off the Hansard. My mother did not go and meet ‘Pandora’ Nadesan,” he said, referring to the fact that Nadesan had been named in the Pandora Papers last year. Premadasa also explained the reasons for the sudden change in stance. “We changed our stance of supporting Siyambalapitiya only when we found out that the SLPP would also be supporting him,” he said, referring to the SLPP’s announcement yesterday morning that it would support Siyambalapitiya.


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