Time for UNP leader to name a successor

The United National Party (UNP) convention which is scheduled for coming Saturday has been postponed due to the ill health of its leader, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe. No new date was announced for the holding of the convention which was meant to showcase new found Opposition unity with representatives from different political parties in attendance. 

Wickremesinghe’s health issues came to the fore when it was highlighted in the Colombo Fort Magistrate court hearings following his arrest. His lawyers told the court of the many health complications that the former President is ailing from, and it was the main ground on which he was given bail.

Doctors treating him at the National Hospital also gave details of the heart, kidney and other ailments that he suffers from. It’s not often politicians in the country speak openly about their health issues but in the case of the UNP leader it is very much in the public domain now and a topic of discussion among the public.

It has also given rise to questions on whether Wickremesinghe can remain in active politics given the many ailments he suffers from. It’s a valid question but one that his close supporters dismiss as reading too much into his health issues.

The fact is Wickremesinghe is a septuagenarian and as happens to all human beings, age takes a toll on people. Politics is a heavy-duty occupation and one needs physical stamina as much as mental stamina. After his recent ordeal following his arrest, it seems only right that he names a successor to lead the grand old party of Sri Lanka, the UNP, which is now but a poor reflection of what it once was.

In politics or in any other profession, knowing when to quit is important. Singapore’s founding leader Lee Kuan Yew could have served for life as Prime Minister given his popularity as well as his role in building a country from scratch but he chose to step down before he turned 70 as PM and served as Senior Minister and Minister Mentor until fully retiring in 2011. There is much an experienced person can give not only in politics but in other fields as well but they need to make way for other leaders to emerge.

In the case of the UNP, Wickremesinghe has been leader since 1994 which is over 30 years by now. It’s his refusal to pave the way for new leaders that made the bulk of its members leave the UNP and join the newly formed Samagi Jana Balawegaya. The friction within the UNP has led to both the UNP and the SJB losing elections with their divisions helping those in Opposition parties.

Wickremesinghe’s recent hospitalisation seems to have thawed relations between the SJB leader Sajith Premadasa and his former boss and there is an opportunity for unity between the two sides. It also presents the opportunity for Wickremesinghe to step down gracefully and give the mantle of the party to an able leader, a decision which rests largely on him.

There are a few cronies around the former President who live in a land of make believe waiting for the day Wickremesinghe becomes President again, but these will only remain dreams. Many Sri Lankans are grateful to Wickremesinghe for coming forward in 2022 when the country was at the height of its worst economic crisis and doing his part to salvage the country. But that does not mean he has wide public support. Wickremesinghe and those in his close circles must not mistake the public displeasure with his arrest as a wider support for him to continue in politics. Misreading the public mood is a mistake that the UNP leader has made repeatedly and he must not do so once again. Handing over the mantle of the UNP to someone is the best thing he can do. That way he can retain some level of approval with the public.