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Over a period spanning half a century, the United National Party has established an unparalleled record of service to Sri Lanka, spearheading Sri Lanka's remarkable economic and social progress. The United National Party has established itself firmly as the strongest single political party of the country.

As the Hon D S Senanayake, the pioneer and founder of the United National Party stated in the opening address on the 6Th of September 1946 at 'Palm Court' in Albert Crescent on the occasion of the inauguration of the United National Party:

"The constitution with which this Island has been endowed requires a government backed by a firm and disciplined majority. It also required a strong party. We are not, as our opponents wishfully think we are, a temporary coalition formed for the purpose of winning seats at the first election. We are a permanent organization designed to act on a constitutional policy in The House of Representatives whether as the government or in opposition."

The United National Party, in the fullest sense of the expression, is a united and national organization. This is because the United National Party has been constituted to enable comprehensive representation of all racial, social and other groups.

Quite appropriately, Hon D S Senanayake was appointed the Founder- President of the United National Party. This great helmsman, responsible for the destiny of this land, organized the party with a far-sighted vision of the future well-being of the Nation.

The records of the early days of the party also bear witness to many others who gave their unstinting support and co-operation in those early days. Following were the founder office bearers: Vice Presidents S W R D Bandaranaike, T B Jayah, Arunachalam Mahadeva, S Natesan, J L Kotalawela and George Ede Silva; Joint Treasurers AR A Razik and J R Jayewardene; and the Secretary, H W Amarasuriya.

At the Founding of the Party we had just 205 members. Fifty years later, today ,the membership has swelled to 1.4 million.

The United National Party was responsible for the Administration of the country for 31 years of its 50 year history. During the remaining nineteen years, the United National Party, while being in the Opposition, has addressed itself to the task of maintaining the momentum of progress along the path it initiated.

When we view the evolution of this country in historical perspective, the outstanding service rendered by the United National Party to this country by winning Independence, becomes crystal clear, After releasing the nation from the yoke of the British Empire and gaining political freedom, the United National Party turned to the colossal task of winning economic freedom - indispensable for the achievement of an independent nationhood.
The United National Party is the only political party that has been represented in Parliament without an interruption, since Independence.

The United National Party is also the only political party that has contested all elections held since the country won Independence.

The United National Party that has recorded such innumerable achievements and triumphs in the field of politics, brought into being an outstanding line of national leaders as well. 
                                                                                                                                                    

Leaders

D.S Senanayake

The Hon D S Senanayake was the party's First Leader.

The United National Party contested the General Election in 1947, under his Leadership. The Party achieved victory gaining a total of 751,431 votes. This represented 39.8 percent of the total votes polled. At this election, 42 Members of Parliament were returned from the UNP. Hon D S Senanayake who founded the United National Party and ushered in not only independence but Democracy itself to Sri lanka, passed away on the 22nd of March 1952.

Dudley Senanayake

With the Hon D S Senanayake's death, the mantle of leadership of the United National Party fell on Dudley Senanayake. Dudley Senanayake who became both leader and Prime Minister, Dissolved Parliament in1952 and held fresh elections.

At this Election, and United National Party polled 1,026,000 votes and recorded a percentage five points higher than in 1947. Fifty four United National Party candidates were elected to Parliament. This marks the First time a political party achieved a two-thirds majority in Parliament in Sri lanka. In 1953 Hon Dudley Senanayake resigned from the Premiership and the Party Leadership due to ill health.

Sir John Kotalawela

Sir John Kotalawela was the third to assume the leadership of the United National Party. During this period, in 1956 the United National Party faced a General Election and suffered a crushing defeat.

In this election, the UNP was for the first time pitted against a united and strong opposition. The United National Party polled 738,750 votes. Only eight members of the United National Party were elected. After the defeet in 1956, Sir John Kotalawela gave up the Leadership of the Party.

Re-building the Party

The task of re-building and re-organizing the party fell to the lot of Hon J R Jayewarden. J R Jayewardene, with tremendous courage, faced the challenges of re-organizing the Party with great vigour. He Breathed new life to the United National Party. The Clearly perceptible result of his great effort at re-building the party was the impressive victory of the United National Party at the Colombo Municipal Council Elections on the 19th of December 1956 - just seven months after the Party's humiliating defeat in 1956.

Dudley Senanayake returns

In 1958, Mr Dudley Senanayake was invited to lead the party once again. At the polls in March 1960, under his leadership, the United National Party polled 908,996 votes Fifty UNP members were returned.

The minority Government that was formed by Mr Dudley Senanayake in March 1960 was defeated in Parliament at the Throne Speech debate.

At the General Elections held in July1960, on the dissolution of Parliament, the United Natioanl Party was defected once again. Althrough the United National Party polled 1.143, 000 votes, only 30 seats were won by the party on parliament. However, this represented an increase of 150,000 votes over those received in March.

In 1964, the coalition Government of SLFP-LSSP and the Communist Party, introduced a Bill to take over Lake House. At the parliamentary crisis relating to the vote of Thanks debated on 5th December 1964, the UNP-led opposition defected the ruling Coalition. At the subsequent General Elections, held in 1965, the United National Party achieved victory.

At these Elections in 1965, the United National Party polled 1,579,181 votes. Sixty-six members of parliament were returned. The number of votes polled by the United National Party at these elections exceeded those polled in 1960 by 400,000.

The United National Party was defected at the Polls once again in 1970. At that General Election the United National Party Polled 1,870,000 votes. This time too, the United National Party Polled 300,000 votes in excess of the number achieved in 1965. Seventeen Members of Parliament were returned.

J R Jayewardene

The Leader of the Party, Hon Dudley Senanayake passed away in April 1973. After his demise, Hon J R Jayewardene took the reins of the Party as its Fourth Leader.
From the time he assumed leadership, Mr J R Jayewardene initiated the process of reviving the Party, re-organizing the Party in an unprecedented manner. A major focus of his effort was to give the due place to those groups that had received scant attention until then. In consequence, the Party focused its attention on the Youth, revitalized the Trade Unions, strengthened Women's Organizations and formulated policies to reflect the changes in social and political trends both here and overseas.

The Party launched a campaign under the new leadership to challenge the actions of the government of the time both inside and outside Parliament, as the situation demanded. It was at this time that the Government banned meetings of the United National Party under Emergency regulations. This was unequivocally opposed by the United National Party.

Mr J R Jayewardene resigned his Seat in Parliament in 1975 to protest the decision of the SLFP, LSSP and CP Coalition Government to extend the life of the Parliament by two more years. Re-contesting the seat, Mr Jayewardene won a resounding victory.

The cumulative effect of all these initiatives was the renewal of popularity of the United National Party.

General Elections - 1977

The General Elections of 1977 clearly put to test the leadership of Mr J R Jayewardene, and the results were overwhelming. The United National Party achieved a landside victory in 1977, polling 3,179,221 votes. One-hundred and forty UNP Members were returned. This time, the United National Party exceeded its 1970 votes by1.3 million. The percentage was 50.92.The represented the largest ever number of member returned to parliament by any single political party. The United National Party received a five-sixth (5/6) majority in Parliament. This was a record at Parliamentary Elections in any democratic country of the world.

This victory was the forerunner to many other political initiatives.

The New Constitution was promulgated in 1978. In the same year, Mr J R Jayewardene was appointed the first Executive President of Sri Lanka. This was the prelude to further UNP successes.

Mr J R Jayewardene was again victorious at the Presidential Elections in 1982.

At this Election, the United National Party polled 3,450,000 votes.

Ranasinghe Premadasa

Ranasinghe Premadasa was chosen as the United National Party candidate for the Presidential Elections in 1988. In the same year, he won the Presidential Elections, On the 2nd of January 1989, Mr J R Jayewardene retired as President in terms of the Constitution.

On his retirement Mr Ranasinghe Premadasa was sworn in as the Second Executive President of Sri lanka.

Mr Ranasinghe Premadasa polled 2,569,000 votes at this Presidential Election.

At the General Elections held in 1989, the United National Party once again achieved victory, polling 2,837,000 votes. The first Sri lanka head of state to become the chairman of the SAARC was Mr Ranasinghe Premadasa.

D B Wijietunge

The Fifth Leader of the United National Party, Mr Ranasinghe Premadasa was assassinated on the 01 of May 1993. Mr D B Wijetunge succeeded him as the sixth Leader of the United National Party. Leader of the house Mr.Ranil Wickremesinghe became prime minister. At the General elections held in August 1994, the United National Party under the Leadership of Mr D B Wijetunge Suffered defect.

At the Presidential Elections held in November 1994, The United National Party was defeated once again.

In this election the United National Party's Presidential Candidate Mr Gamini Dissanayake, fell victim to a bomb-attack. Shortly before Election Day. Mrs Srima Dissanaayake was selected as the substitute Presidential Candidate by the United National Party. As an inevitable outcome of the turbulent conditions that existed in the country and also within the Party at this time, the United Natioanl Party polled only 2,700,150 votes at this Presidential Election.

Ranil Wickremesinghe - The New Leader

The Present Leader of the United National Party, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe is its seventh leader. He was elected Leader of the Party in November 1994.

Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe is the first leader of the United National Party born after Independence.

He commenced re-building the party, which had been defeeted at three consecutive elections, within his first week as Party Leader.

When he assumed leadership, the United National Party was in the doldrums. Apart from the electoral losses, it had also lost many of its leaders. Finances and party morale were at an all time low.

He re-fashioned the party policies to reflect aspirations of a new society- "A New Path for a New Generation." He has commenced the process of restructuring the party to take Sri lanka into the 21st century.

Under the guidance of all its seven leaders, the primary task of the party, a task it has adhered to with a clear and unwavering commitment, has been to bring peace, harmony and prosperity to Sri lanka of all walks of life.
In its 50 years, the United National Party has evolved not only into a mature and professionally managed political force, strong and I\united even in opposition, but a way of life in itself.

The following pages will examine key landmarks in Sri lanka's development in this light..

Antecedents

Wickremasinghe's father was Esmond Wickremasinghe, an ex-Samasamajist and supremo of the Lake House group of newspapers. The Wickremasinghes were an established part of the upper class Colombo Anglican elite. His paternal uncle Lakshman Wickremasinghe was later to be a much respected Bishop of the Church of Sri Lanka. His maternal line consisted of newspaper barons and landowners, the Wijewardenas, who were Sinhala Buddhists. His maternal grandfather was D.R. Wijewardena, the founder of the Lake House publishing empire. He was a nephew of J.R. Jayawardene, later President of Sri Lanka.

Education

Wickremasinghe was educated at the prestigious Royal College, Colombo where he was a classmate and a good friend of Anura Bandaranaike, son of then Prime Minister Solomon Bandaranaike and Dinesh Gunawardena, son of socialist leader Philip Gunawardena. In spite of his feudal inheritance, Wickremesinghe chose to pursue his higher education in his own country, entering the Faculty of Law at the University of Colombo. After graducation he completed his studies at the Sri Lanka Law Collegeattorney-at-law. Incidentally of all the Presidents and Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka, Wickremesinghe is the only person to graduate from a local university, the remainder either having degrees from foreign universities or no university education at all. and enrolled as an

Political Career

A successful lawyer, Wickremasinghe joined the United National Party (UNP) and progressed through its youth and bar ranks. Wickremasinghe was appointed as the chief organizer of the Kelaniya Parliamentary seat in the mid 1970s but was later installed as the chief organizer of the Biyagama seat which he won in the 1977 Parliamentary Elections.

He was installed as the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in the new government and was soon promoted to the post of Minister of Youth Affairs and Employment which made him the youngest cabinet minister of Sri Lankan history to date. He introduced the National Youth Services Council (NYSCO) which provides vocational and career training to thousands of school leavers. Wickremesinghe was later made the Minister of Education. As the education minister, he could made a visible positive difference in the standards of education and could build an image as an achiever. Wickremasinghe was also behind distributing television sets to thousands of remote schools in Sri Lanka.

Under the Presidency of Ranasinghe Premadasa, Wickremesinghe was appointed as the Minister of Industry and Leader of the House under which he initiated the Industrial reforms and established the Biyagama Special Economic Zone. Wickremasinghe had competition from his intellectual colleagues Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake, who had been rivals of President Premadasa. However, he outmaneuvered both of them and many others and accordingly he was appointed the leader of house in 1989. On May 01, 1993 Wickremasinghe was sworn in as Prime Minister after President Ranasinghe Premadasa was brutally assassinated, allegedly by the Tamil Tigers.

In the 1994 Parliamentary Elections, the UNP lost to Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga's People's Alliance (PA) which ousted Wickremasinghe from the Prime Ministership. He also lost the race to be the Opposition Leader by 2 votes to fellow UNP member Gamini Dissanayake who just re-joined the party. This gave Gamini Dissanayake the default leadership of the party and made him the Presidential nominee of the UNP. The UNP was showing great spirit and strength under Gamini Dissanayake, when he too was assassinated by the Tamil Tigers. Gamini Dissanayake's widowed wife Srima became the replacement candidate of the UNP and secured only 35% of the vote, losing to Chandrika Kumaratunga in all the Parliamentary seats in Sri Lanka apart from Mahiyangana. Afterwards Wickremasinghe was appointed as the Opposition Leader as well as the UNP leader.

As Opposition Leader Wickremasinghe undertook his party through a difficult time period where the UNP supported many of the good deeds of the government despite some members of his party asking him to be more aggressive. In 1999 President Kumaratunga called the Presidential Elections a year prior to its expiration in the hope of regaining and fortifying power in order to amend the constitution. Wickremesinghe was nominated as the UNP candidate.

After a tense election campaign in the wake of the violent North Western Provincial Council election, President Kumaratunga was attacked by the Tamil Tigers in an attempt on her life in which she lost her right eye. In the election held 2 days later (December 21, 1999), amidst a wave of sympathy, Chandrika Kumaratunga received 51% of the total votes to be re-elected for her second and final term. The gap between Wickremasinghe and Kumaratunga was approximately 700,000 votes (6% of the valid votes). Kumaratunga was sworn in for her second term on December 22, 1999.

After the loss of the 1999 Presidential Elections, Wickremesinghe unsuccessfully led his UNP through the 2000 Parliamentary Elections again losing out to the PA. During this time period, both the PA and the UNP agreed upon a new constitutional draft but the UNP later withdrew protesting against what it said was Kumaratunga's attempts to extend her Presidential time period.

That year, Sri Lanka underwent severe losses in the warfront and only managed a highly unsatisfactory -1% economic growth rate, the first ever negative growth in the country's history. By the end of the year a some members of the PA government led by S. B. Dissanayake a senior Minister of the PA government, and Deputy Finance Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris left the PA to join the UNP thus destabilising the Parliamentary composition which led Kumaratunga to call for fresh elections. The United National FrontSri lanka Muslim Congress and the Ceylon Workers' Congress assumed power in the 2001 Parliamentary Elections held on December 10. Wickremasinghe's UNP won all but 6 of the 22 Electoral Districts in Sri Lanka. Thus Ranil Wickremasinghe took oaths as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka for the second time. (UNF), formed with the PA dissidents, the

One of his first acts was to sign a ceasefire agreement with the LTTE rebels and start peace talks. This has resulted in a visible development of the country. The civil war came to a halt; the North and South of the island was linked after decades and millions of people benefitted as a result. During Wickremasinghe's second term he also re-energized the economy to reach an economic growth rate of 6% and managed to keep the inflation down, at 2% - the country's lowest. His liberal economic policies stabilized the national economy. He also developed many international ties setup by him during his time in the Opposition. Sri Lanka underwent huge social changes during this period due to the ceasefire which made the country much accessible and open. The tigers however abruptly withdrew from the peace process in early 2003.

Wickremasinghe came under fiery criticism and was called a traitor by many, after a police officer, commonly perceived as a Wickramasinghe ally, exposed an elite Sri Lankan army LRRP unit who were engaged in operations against the LTTE, on the accusastion that the unit was deployed to assassinate Wickramasinghe. However, most of the information about this event is baseless and were created by the political opponenets of Wickremasinghe, mainly the extremist JVP. During the Presidential Election campaign of 2005 Wickremasinghe addressed most of these concerns and proved these accusations were not correct.

By November 2003 the LTTE showed willingness to reenter the peace talks by proposing an Interim Self Governing AuthorityJanatha Vimukthi Peramuna to form the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and dissolved Parliament to call for new elections. (ISGA), which was seen by some as a blueprint for peace. President Kumaratunga quickly shook off these proposals and assumed the Defense, Interior, and Media Ministries - which cut short the powers of the UNP regime. Soon the President Kumaratunga's PA allied with radical socialists

In the 2004 Parliamentary Elections held on April 02 Ranil Wickremasinghe's UNF lost governmental office. The popular image of the UPFA candidate and his unrealistic but attractive promises like promising a 70% wage raise, tearing apart of the ceasefire agreement, lowering of the cost of living, employing the unemployed and reinstating the fertilizer subsidy. This left Wickremasinghe and his party a lot to think about and within such a small time they rebuilt the grassroots of the party and strengthened its position as the largest political party of Sri Lanka. Within 14 months of the assumption to power of the UPFA the radical JVP wing left the government destabilizing the government which has over 30 Parliamentarians short of the required majority.

In December 2004 Ranil Wickremasinghe was chosen by the United National Party as its Presidential candidate for 2005 Presidential Elections due in late 2005. The Supreme Court decided in August 2005 that the elections should be held this year despite the President's argument that her term ends in 2006. Mahinda Rajapaksa, then Prime Minister, was appointed as the Presidential candidate of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.

In the Presidential Election, held on November 17, 2005, Wickremesinghe was defeated narrowly by the more popular Mahinda Rajapaksa. A majority of the minority Tamil population in the Northern and Eastern parts of the country who were largely expected to back Wickremesinghe were prevented from voting by the LTTE. There were also allegations by his party that several of their supporters were deliberately disenfrenchised by pro-Rajapakse government officials, by striking their names off the electoral register.

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Primeministers UNP

1952 to 1953-1 Primeminister Srilanka

1960 March to 1960 July -2 Primeminister Srilanka

1965 to 1970 - 3 Primeminister Srilanka

Ranasinghe Premadasa - 1978

1978 to 1988 -11 Primeminister Srilanka

D.B Wejethunga-1989

Ranil Wickramasinghe – 2001 

2001 to 2004 - 17 Primeminister Srilanka

Prsesidents UNP

From 1977 - 1988

Mr. J.R. Jayewardene becomes Prime Minister in 1977; subsequently becomes Sri Lanka's first Executive President.

 Ranasinghe Premadasa: 1988 -1993

From 1988 - 1993

Mr. R. Premadasa became the President in 1989. President Premadasa was assassinated in Colombo on May 1, 1993.

 D.B Wejethunga: 1993-1994

From 1993 - 1994
Mr D B Wijetunga, who was Prime Minister at the time of President Premadasa's assassination in 1993, was elected by Parliament as President.

The UNP Vision

United National Party will be a strong political force in the Country and will play a great part mounding the future destinies of the people by creating unity among all communities in Sri Lanka through establishing goodwill and trust between different communities.

Adopted by the inaugural United National Party held on Friday 6th September 1946 at Palm court .Colombo !

The UNP Structure

Party Office Bearers