United People's Power සමගි ජන බලවේගය ஐக்கிய மக்கள் சக்தி | |
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Abbreviation | SJB |
Leader | Sajith Premadasa |
Chairman | Imthiaz Bakeer Markar |
Secretary | Kabir Hashim |
Spokesman | S. M. Marikkar[1] |
Founder | Sajith Premadasa |
Founded | 10 February 2020 |
Split from | United National Party |
Preceded by | United National Front for Good Governance |
Headquarters | 815, E W Perera Mw, Ethulkotte, Kotte[2] |
Youth wing | Samagi Tharuna Balawegaya |
Women's wing | Samagi Vanitha Balawegaya |
Ideology | Progressivism[3] Populism Moderatism Social Democracy |
Political position | Centre |
Colors | Green Yellow |
Slogan | දිනමු (Dinamu) ('Let's win') |
Parliament of Sri Lanka | 40 / 225 |
Local Government | 6 / 30 |
Election symbol | |
Telephone | |
Website | |
www | |
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB; Sinhala: සමගි ජන බලවේගය, romanized: Samagi Jana Balavēgaya, Tamil: ஐக்கிய மக்கள் சக்தி, romanized: Aikkiya Makkaḷ Cakti, English: United People's Power) is a political alliance[4][5] led by Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa.[6][7][8] It is the largest opposition coalition in the Parliament of Sri Lanka since 2020.
The alliance was formed with the approval of the working committee of the United National Party (UNP)[9] to contest in the 2020 Sri Lankan parliamentary election. On 11 February 2020, the election commission of Sri Lanka announced that they had accepted the new alliance as a recognised political coalition in Sri Lanka. Ranjith Madduma Bandara was named as the general secretary of the party.[10] Other minor political parties like the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) joined the new alliance on 12 February 2020.[11]
The alliance won 54 seats and became the main opposition just six months after its formation.[12] While the alliance traces its political views to the liberal-conservative principles of the UNP, some members of the Sri Lankan media have argued that the SJB has gradually moved to the progressive and democratic political centre over time, and even espouses several social democratic (centre-left) ideals.[13][14]