The United National Party (UNP) is preparing to transition towards a new generation of leadership capable of embracing “Smart Politics,” party leader and former President Ranil Wickremesinghe said.

He made these remarks at the launch of the ‘SMART UNP’ digital programme held yesterday (4) at the party headquarters, Sirikotha.

Addressing the gathering, Wickremesinghe acknowledged that he is over 70 years old, noting that there are also leaders in their 60s and 50s within the party. He stressed that the time has come to hand over the party and the future of politics to the ‘Zen Beta’ generation — those born after the end of the civil war.

Recalling the role played by past leaders in shaping the country for different generations, Wickremesinghe said D.S. Senanayake prepared Sri Lanka for the Baby Boomer generation, while J.R. Jayewardene laid the foundation for the Millennial generation.

Accordingly, he said his responsibility is to transfer leadership of the party to a younger generation capable of taking it forward alongside modern technology.

Wickremesinghe said future politics must embrace advanced technologies such as virtual reality, revealing plans to introduce new roles within the party structure, including ‘Digital Administrators’ and ‘Digital Organisers’.

He added that Sri Lanka requires leadership capable of navigating evolving global political dynamics, including the influence of Donald Trump’s politics, China’s growing global role, and India’s emergence as a major power.

Under the ‘SMART UNP’ initiative, the Sirikotha headquarters will be equipped with high-speed internet connectivity through Starlink technology. The programme also includes plans to introduce new digital membership cards for party members.