Several opposition party leaders and supporters gathered in Nugegoda today for a Joint Opposition rally, undeterred by persistent heavy rain.
Among the prominent figures present were former MPs G.L. Peiris, Udaya Gammanpila, Tiran Alles, Rajitha Senaratne, Vajira Abeygunawardena, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Mahinda Amaraweera, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Harin Fernando, Sagara Kariyawasam, and Duminda Dissanayake. Current MPs Namal Rajapaksa and Chamara Sampath Dassanayake also took part and addressed the crowd.
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) was notably absent from the event, while UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe reportedly left the country earlier in the day.
Addressing the rally, SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa said the opposition had united “without fear of government restrictions and controls,” adding that even without signs of an election, they were ready to stand with the public. He accused the government of breaking its promises, working with the IMF despite earlier opposition to it, and imposing a heavy tax burden on citizens.
MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake stated that the rally’s purpose was not tied to naming a leader, but asserted that if the need arose, “any individual could be placed in the President’s seat.”
Former MP Harin Fernando described the event as the first step toward removing what he called a corrupt administration, urging all opposition parties, including the SJB, to unite.
Meanwhile, Udaya Gammanpila, leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya, alleged that no government had feared a public gathering as much as the current one, claiming that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake was “most afraid” of today’s rally.
