Give back the UNP

Ever since independence, the United National Party (UNP) had been a mainstay in Sri Lankan politics. It was a party where minorities found a voice and market-driven economic policies lifted millions out of poverty. It was a party built on a pragmatic vision for Sri Lanka, where economic growth and social upliftment went hand in hand. But today, the once-grand UNP has been decimated into oblivion, destroyed not by external forces but from within, due to the ambitions of a single man.

The UNP was not without its flaws, but it was Sri Lanka’s foremost political alternative to the Sinhala-dominated nationalist parties and the populist and socialist parties. Its open markets and trade liberalisation policies were responsible for significant economic gains. Landmark welfare programs such as the Mahapola Scholarship and the Gamudawa village development initiative stand as testimony to its commitment to social mobility and economic opportunity.

Yet, despite its accomplishments, the UNP fell into disrepair—its vitality sapped, its grassroots eroded, and its leadership entrenched in self-preservation. The blame for this tragedy falls squarely on one individual, who, after decades at the helm, turned the UNP into a personal fiefdom rather than the democratic institution it was meant to be while plummeting the party to a single seat in parliament in 2020, that too through the national list. His desperate clinging to power, despite repeated electoral failures and increasing irrelevance, alienated the very core of the party—the members, supporters, and leaders who once brought energy and vision to the UNP.

For years, there were calls for a leadership change, for a rejuvenation of the party that once stood for so much. The most loyal of the UNP’s rank-and-file finally broke away, forming the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB). The SJB carried with it the heart and soul of the UNP, the grassroots activists, and the party’s ideological core. In last week’s Presidential elections, it was abundantly clear that the core UNP voters now aligned themselves with the SJB, leaving the UNP leadership to depend on the minuscule support of the Sri Lanka Podujana Party.

What remains of the UNP today is a hollow shell, jealously guarded by a leader whose success has come under question. If recent news reports are true, it is most welcomed that he will not seek another election. What is necessary now is a total renunciation of leadership, something that should have been done many years ago. The UNP is not the personal property of anyone to possess or destroy—it is a political institution that belongs to its members and a political institution that Sri Lanka needs at this very moment as a counterbalance to the leftist administration that takes office.

The UNP leadership must, even at this very late hour step aside and allow the party a chance at revival. The UNP is not beyond saving, but it needs fresh leadership, a new vision, and a return to its core values. It must once again become the political alternative for a modern, inclusive, and economically competitive Sri Lanka—one that embraces both progress and diversity. The path forward is clear: the party must realign itself with its true standard bearers, those who carry the mantle of its founding ideals. It is with the SJB that the grassroots and the future of the UNP lies, and it is time for it to be given back to those who are its true custodians.