MONETABRIEF – Sri Lanka's Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has publicly confirmed for the first time that his Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has joined with the United National Party (UNP), from which it broke away to contest the 2020 parliamentary election.
"Don't be afraid, we have already united (ekathu wela ivarai) with the UNP," Premadasa told supporters at a rally opposite Parliament on Thursday, where he denounced the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution as a blow to democracy.
"The only alternative to this tyrannical Anura Kumara Dissanayake government is none other than the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, the Samagi Jana Sandhanaya, and the understanding we build with the UNP," he said, to loud applause from thousands of supporters.
The SJB has 40 seats in the current parliament while the UNP has just one seat. (https://www.parliament.lk/en/members-of-parliament/party-composition )
Should the SJB return to power, Premadasa said he would dismantle the 22nd Amendment, which the government describes as an essential element of its ambitious judicial reform process.
"The 22nd Constitutional Amendment is being executed by the government to destroy democracy in our country and completely annihilate the independence and freedom of the judiciary.
"We will defeat all such attempts through people’s power and strength, and we will send this government home using your power," he said.
The government has argued that the reforms are necessary to clear a backlog of 1.1 million cases. Criminal proceedings usually take well over 17 years, while civil cases can take generations to conclude.
Sri Lanka’s influential Bar Association has also opposed the constitutional amendment, calling the proposed change to the retirement age an attempt to prolong the tenure of the current Chief Justice.
President Dissanayake told the Bar Association last month that he planned to recruit 10,000 police constables, hundreds of forensic staff, and court clerks in a bid to speed up the criminal justice system.
"This is part of a much broader process," Dissanayake said. "It forms part of an approach that looks at the entire process, beginning with investigations and continuing through the judicial process."
But the BASL insists the move aims to keep 64-year-old Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena in office. He is due to retire in November, but with the passing of the 22nd Amendment on Friday, he will gain another two years in office.
Several opposition parties have accused Surasena, who was elevated to Chief Justice last year under Dissanayake’s administration, of being biased in favour of the government.
However, ruling party MP Lakmali Hemachandra told Parliament that if the President wanted to "capture" the judiciary, he should have appointed his personal lawyer as Chief Justice, as done by a former president.
She noted that the judges of the Supreme Court had been appointed by previous administrations, and if alleged political bias of judges was an issue, then retaining them for two more years would be counter-productive for the government.
She argued that the move was not aimed at any individual, but was a reform that applied to all judges equally.
The judicial overhaul comes as authorities intensify anti-corruption investigations involving former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and members of his family. They deny wrongdoing. (Colombo/Sept 24/2026)