I have followed Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe’s political career over the years, and I have found him to be a citizen completely unaligned to any particular political ideology: his only concern is the political welfare of the country as a whole.
Ranil has proved yet again that he is an indispensable leader for the UNP.
Without this leader, who combines grace, strength and determination, the UNP would be a symphony orchestra minus not only a conductor but also a composer.
Ranil is a dignified leader, methodical and circumspect, who has inherited the political and intellectual acumen of his famous family. His family circle has produced some of the country’s finest leaders in a myriad fields, from politics and religion to business and journalism.
The late President J. R. Jayewardene was possibly the most eminent of Ranil’s relatives .J.R. was Ranil’s mentor, guru and guide. Ranil was trained to play by the rules of the game. He is not a better gentleman because he is a politician, but a better politician because he is a gentleman.
Some of the party men around him have the nerve to suggest that they are more capable of leading the party than Ranil.
Every profession has its code of conduct, its discipline. Although politics may not constitute a profession as such, it should have a code of conduct and accountability. If politics today does not attract the country’s intelligentsia, this may be because of the unholy conduct of the majority of our politicians, Parliamentarians in particular.
The recent spate of attacks on Ranil by his own men, who blame him for the UNP’s electoral losses, may be perceived as acts of indiscipline within the party. This is a matter for the party members to review collectively.
I do not presume to be a political analyst, but the plain fact is that ever since 1956, the year that marked a radical shift of power in Sri Lankan politics, there have been many failures on the part of the UNP.
The UNP came back in 1977 with an unprecedented majority but suffered severe setbacks following the constitutional reforms that surprised the electorate. Today, Ranil is at the receiving end of criticisms prompted by cumulative party actions.
The task of politicians immediately after Independence was different. Then, the theme was cultural change based on the protest movement of the 1950s. Today, the most pressing matter for the country is finding a solution to the ongoing conflict. This is the most difficult problem of all. It is a problem that requires special handling; you cannot act like the lady who put her shivering, wet poodle into the microwave oven to dry the animal out.
There are only two approaches to the present conflict – to negotiate or to fight.
Past leaders, including Ranil, attempted to find a solution through negotiation. Time-consuming and costly negotiations only served to further strengthen the LTTE and make it more inflexible. Our current leader has correctly chosen the other approach – to fight, and to free the Tamil people from the clutches of the terrorists. The approach is working well, and the government is almost at the point of complete success.
Ranil has rightly applauded this success, and has made his party toe the line. That alone proves his fine statesmanship.
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