A group of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) electoral organisers, backed by ten senior Members of Parliament, has reportedly urged party leader Sajith Premadasa to immediately replace longstanding party officials and overhaul the leadership structure, Lankadeepa reported.
The organisers made the demand following the SJB’s repeated electoral defeats—two presidential, three parliamentary, and one local government election—arguing that blaming electoral organisers alone is unjust. They stressed the need for a broader structural reform to avoid further losses.
According to the report, the group called for the replacement of founding-era leaders and strategists with younger, more dynamic individuals who can attract new public support. They advocated for the appointment of fresh and youth-oriented representatives to key party positions.
The demand reportedly came ahead of plans to remove certain organisers held responsible for recent failures. In response, the group argued that if the SJB had won the last presidential election, it would have been better positioned to secure a parliamentary majority.
They also criticised the decision to contest the 2019 presidential election without forming a broader alliance, noting that inclusion of the United National Party (UNP) could have improved their chances. Furthermore, they suggested Sajith Premadasa’s refusal to accept national leadership after Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation in 2022 was a missed opportunity to boost his image—especially when compared to Ranil Wickremesinghe, who gained political traction and over 2 million votes after stepping into leadership.
The group blamed internal economic advisors for advising Sajith against accepting national leadership during the crisis, which they believe further weakened the party’s momentum.
They concluded by warning that unless immediate reforms are implemented and old faces are replaced with innovative leadership, the SJB risks continued electoral decline.
