What have the Senanayakes achieved in the long run? Of course, Dudley Senanayake was a gentleman and as such was not suited for politics – the refuge of all scoundrels.

D S Senanayake created the first schism in the country’s polity by disenfranchising the plantation voters by passing the Ceylon Citizenship Act of 1952. That was the first sowing of seeds of separatism.

The best bet the UNP could have is to nominate S B Dissanayake as its next leader. He is leadership material, breathing fire and brimstone from platforms and a pragmatic achiever in administration.