evidence: Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP S. M. Marikkar yesterday claimed the recent televised debate planned between SJB leader Sajith Premadasa and National People’s Power (NPP) party leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake with only the latter attending was a conspiracy hatched by the NPP, ITN and the President’s Office. [...] With the two parties failing to yield concrete plans for two debates involving party leaders and their economic councils despite weeks of negotiations, last month, ITN Chairman Sudarshana Gunawardana extended a written offer to both the SJB and NPP to host the debate. Gunawardana’s letter outlined that the debate between Sajith Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayake would take place on 6 June, with intentions to broadcast it live. [...] He also criticised Sudharman Radaliyagoda, the mediator of the program attended by Dissanayake. "Radaliyagoda was closely associated with the Rajapaksas and even went to prison. Why should we attend such a program? As a former media person myself, I know that an independent feed must be provided to all channels. This debate was engineered by Ranil Wickremesinghe and the JVP. We will not participate in such an event," he asserted.