Leadership Change In the UNP

The once powerful United National Party is in deep slumber, and the contributory factor has been the uncharismatic and lack lustre leadership. It would be in the long term interests of the party for Ranil Wickremesinghe to step down, and grant the freedom for its members to elect a leader of their choice. The lessons that the UNP has learnt from its history, is that a change in leadership, such as Sir John Kotelawala did after the party’s defeat in 1956, paved the way for Dudley Senanayake to assume the leadership and lead the party to victory in July 1960, and March 1965.
Similarly, after its defeat in 1970, Dudley Senanayake handed over the reins to J. R. Jayewardene and ironically it was at Senanayake’s funeral in 1973, that the party’s popularity was displayed. It was an indicator, that the UNP was the party waiting to rule and the endorsement for it came at the 1977 election’s with J. R. romping home with a 5/6th majority.
Wickremesinghe can emulate the late Dudley Senanayake, by going into the political wilderness for a while, and emerge when the party’s popularity rises. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and he would then be viewed perhaps with a change of heart, than with the allergy the people presently have against him.
Wasantha Raj
Colombo 8