Member of Parliament Ravi Karunanayake's birthday fell on the 19th, and coinciding with that day, a prominent discussion in the political sphere was about the reconciliation between the United National Party (UNP) and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB). A short, simple birthday celebration was organized for him at the Opposition Leader's office located in the Parliament complex.
The special feature of this celebration was that it was prepared without informing Mr. Ravi Karunanayake.This celebration was organized by Member of Parliament Sujeewa Senasinghe, under the instructions of Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, General Secretary of Samagi Jana Balawegaya Ranjith Madduma Bandara, and nearly forty Members of Parliament representing the Samagi Jana Balawegaya were present at this occasion.
Upon Mr. Ravi Karunanayake's arrival, the MPs attending the event wished him by saying "Happy Birthday to you Ravi". It was also notable that two cakes had been prepared to serve everyone present. After cutting the cake, Mr. Ravi fed the first piece to Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, and then served cake to other Members of Parliament, including Mr. Ranjith Madduma Bandara.
Wishing Mr. Ravi Karunanayake, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa emphasized that there is widespread public interest in the unification of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya and the United National Party. He further stated that the commitment of all members of both parties towards this goal should be appreciated.
Responding to this, Mr. Ravi Karunanayake stated that by uniting these two parties, an enormous role can be played for the country. He pointed out that the people are expecting such a unity, and that members of both parties are already uniting.
MP Sujeewa Senasinghe, who organized this short and simple birthday celebration, stated that with the aim of further strengthening the unity and solidarity of the opposition, he would continue to organize such celebratory events for the birthdays of opposition MPs in the future.