Former President and United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has called on all opposition parties to unite to defeat what he called "dictatorship."

Speaking at the UNP's 79th anniversary convention, held under the theme "Let's Stand Together" in Colombo today, Wickremesinghe said, "Let's all unite and get organised to defeat the attempts to establish a dictatorship by silencing opposition leaders."

He proposed holding 1,000 public rallies across the country, with all opposition parties coming together for a common cause.

Referencing past political movements, Wickremesinghe reminded the audience of the Satyagraha campaign led by the late President J. R. Jayewardene and the 'Pada Yatra' led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

He concluded his speech by calling on his supporters to "bring back the double-decker bus" and repeatedly urged, "Let's unite, let's unite, let's unite."