Actress Damita Abeyratne has publicly demanded a seat on the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) national list, expressing her frustration over potential issues with her nomination for the upcoming general election. Speaking to the media on October 16, she questioned whether the party’s leadership is “illiterate and deaf,” referring to claims of a communication problem that might lead to her nomination being rejected.
Abeyratne criticized the party’s General Secretary, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, for suggesting that communication issues could affect nominations. She proposed that if her nomination is indeed rejected, Bandara should step down from the national list and allow her to take his place.
She remarked, “I have to ask if there are people who can’t write, can’t speak, and can’t hear at the speed of Samagi Jana Balawega. There must be communication problems, right? These are jokes. So now the Secretary General is saying that it’s a communication problem. If that’s the case, then OK, put me in.”
Her comments highlight internal tensions within the SJB as the party navigates its nominations for the general election.