May 13, Colombo: The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) will support Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to form a government, SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam has said.

The main opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) said it will not take part in a government to be established under the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Prime Minister Ranil Ranasinghe.

In a letter to the President Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa said SJB will not nominate any member to the cabinet that is to be formed against the people’s mandate.

Responding to President’s letter inviting him to take part in the government, Mr Premadasa had reiterated that he would agree to serve as the Prime Minister only if the President agrees to his conditions stipulated in his letter to the President dated 12 May 2022 and resigns.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP) and the 10 political parties which withdrew from the government and now function independently have also decided not to take part in the new government under Prime Minister Wickremesinghe.