Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Ratnapura District
MP Thalatha Athukorala has informed parliament that she will be resigning from her position as a Member of Parliament.
She made the announcement while delivering a statement in Parliament today (21).
Thalatha Athukorala, the sister of the late United National Party (UNP) politician Gamini Athukorala, first entered Parliament in 2004.
She has been re-elected in subsequent general elections in 2010, 2015, and 2020 from the Ratnapura District.
In the 2020 general election, she secured her seat in Parliament as a member of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) with 45,105 votes from the Ratnapura District.
Delivering her special statement in parliament today, Athukorala said the following:
“This is a very emotional moment for me. On one side, our ‘mother party’ - the United National Party has split into two. Both the leader and former deputy leader of that party have become political enemies. Both are vying to become president. At a time when everyone is trying to unite, I cannot wholeheartedly agree with the decision for our camp to divide and contest separately.”
“I believe that the decision for the two leaders to separate and contest is a selfish political decision taken without thinking about the future of the country. History will prove that in the near future. If I continue to remain silent about it, I will also become an indirect contributor to that sin.”
“I will never stop my political journey and I will say that with pride and courage at this moment. I have no regrets of leaving my position as an MP. Today, I am facing that crucial moment and this is the first time I am informing this to the parliament.”
“I do not wish for the party to split even though I won as a candidate of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, I still continue to think whether the decision we took back then without thinking about the future was the correct decision.”
“The thought of whether I contributed to the division of our great party makes me feel sadder than the happiness of the MP position I gained.”