Should Ranil Should Leave Politics

An election that has been fought for, and campaigned har for has come and gone. The death was sudden, and it was quick. Given certain interesting developments that arose in the northern parts of the country, I expected there to be lawsuits, injunctions and all that sort of stuff. But that was not to be.

Having concluded the election, now it's time for the post-mortem. Initial indications were that the future of Ranil Wickramasinghe was uncertain, and that he would step down from the leadership of the United National Party. My immediate concern was for the future of the country, and that of my own in Sri Lanka, but that's a different story.

Let's take a step back and look at the leadership of Ranil Wickramasinghe. His ascend in the party hierarchy was rather quick -- which seems a personal trait of his; ascending/descending from positions in a mighty hurry.

Ranil is quite a different political animal altogether -- a type of person that has not graced the political arena in Sri Lanka. His policies have been consistent. His statements have been truthful and forthcoming, not intended to be sugarcoated to the electorate. The couple of times he "tried" to sugarcoat things he made a complete mockery of the whole thing, making himself the butt-end of many a joke. This guy is simply not made to lie and sugarcoat things.

On the same breath, as a student of the Old Fox, Ranil can be tagged a a player. His careful calculations and political maneuvering and his patience to play the waiting game are qualities of a master campaigner, and a seasoned politician.

But what makes Ranil truly different?

This guy has a vision. He has a bunch of programs that he wants to implement. He knows exactly how to work with the LTTE, trap them (which is already done), get the north-east issue out of the equation, and step on the gas with regard to development. He's got a long-term goal, and a vision of where Sri Lanka should be within the next 5, 10, 15, and 50 years.

I'm sorry Ranil, but that's exactly what Sri Lanka DOES NOT need. Development is for losers, and empowerment is bad for you! Sri Lanka has a heritage of over 2500 which we have now deposited in the bank, and are now living off the interest of.

We need leaders who can smile, who can say one thing but actually do another, we need leaders not with definite plans, but with "vague ideas." We need leaders who would rather not make difficult & bold decisions, but play pandu instead.

That is why Ranil Wickramasinghe should not be the leader of the United National Party. The desire of Sri Lankans is to be a bunch subsidy-begging, government-dependent third-world citizens caught in an eternal time-warp. We really don't need Ranil to come and tell us that we could have better, and take this ignorant paradise away from us.

This is why I say Ranil should leave politics. He should leave because the Sri Lankan people simply does not want what he promises to deliver.

However, if there's an iota of belief in your mind that Sri Lankans deserve better for some weird reason, please stay on for a brighter day.

Don't quit on the last yard.