Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) General Secretary Ranjith Maddumabandara addressed the media on August 9 about the appointments to fill the parliamentary seats left vacant by Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara.
Manusha Nanayakkara, who was elected to Parliament in the 2020 general election from the Galle district, will be replaced by Bandulal Bandarigoda. Bandarigoda, who was ranked third on the preference list for Galle, will now assume Nanayakkara’s seat.
Since Harin Fernando was elected from the national list, his seat requires a different process for replacement. The SJB’s executive board and management board will decide who will fill this position.
In addition, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka has resigned from his roles as SJB chairman and organizer for the Kelaniya Constituency. The party’s executive and management boards will jointly decide on replacements for these roles.
These changes come in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling on August 9, which upheld the SJB’s decision to suspend and expel Fernando and Nanayakkara from the party. The court’s verdict disqualified them from holding their parliamentary seats.