Samagi Jana Balawegaya National Organiser Tissa Attayake said the leader of his party will be its presidential candidate at the next election.

In an interview with Asian Mirror, Attanayake said the UNP lost the plot when it appointed a person from a different party as the presidential candidate. The UNP fielded Sarath Fonseka and Maithripala Sirisena as the party's presidential candidates in 2010 and 2015.

By making this statement, Attanayake made it clear that Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa would be the party's choice for 2024 Presidential election.

He was responding to our question on whether MP Patali Champika Ranawaka was positioning himself as a presidential candidate for the party with the formation of his "43th Brigade".

Ranawaka is yet to be given an official position in the SJB.