-By LeN Political Editor in Colombo -Special Investigative & Humorous Feature
(Lanka-e-News -08.Aug.2025, 11.10 PM) It is said that old generals never die, they simply fade away. But Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka’s enduring political chameleon, seems determined to rewrite that script — preferably while wearing someone else’s belt.
In a political cocktail of Shakespearean intrigue, oligarchic entitlement, and the sort of budget travel behaviour that would make a bargain-hunting backpacker blush, the former President now finds himself knee-deep in scandal, subpoenas, and — of all things — sartorial emergencies.
Sources deep within the ranks of the United National Party (UNP) tell this newspaper that Wickremesinghe, now a man politically marooned and financially flatlining, is plotting his final act: a backroom coronation of his blue-blooded protégé and nephew, Ruwan Wijewardene, as the next UNP leader.
All this while Ranil himself is facing the most serious legal threats of his half-century political career — including a potential criminal indictment tied to the notorious Batalanda torture chambers, falsified state expenses during his presidency, murky privatisation deals, and suspicious high-profile appointments.
In other words, the UNP is no longer a political party — it’s a royal theatre of tragedy, treachery, and tailors.
The succession plan, if it can be called that, is not just undemocratic — it’s dynastic. According to UNP insiders, Ranil has bypassed the party’s Executive Committee and ignored internal protocols, handpicking Wijewardene as his heir apparent in what critics are calling a “backroom coronation.”
This is not the first time Sri Lanka has seen power travel along family lines. But even by Colombo’s twisted standards, this reeks of desperation. Ruwan Wijewardene is not just a cousin of the elite — he is the elite. Heir to the Lake House newspaper empire and son of one of Sri Lanka’s richest families, Ruwan spends more time polishing his watch collection than his political messaging.
And yet, behind the tailored suits and charm is a man rumoured to be controlled — emotionally, financially, and even spiritually — by handlers who appear to include his media baron family and a mysterious European “spiritual consultant” spotted by journalists during a retreat in Tuscany.
If you happened to be at the John Keells Casino opening last month, you might have seen a peculiar sight: a former president arriving with his trousers halfway to the floor, held together not by dignity, but by the kindness of a bystander who lent him a belt.
Observers report that Ranil’s appearance at the event wasn’t just uninvited — it was unpaid. In fact, casino insiders quietly questioned whether the ex-president had “demanded a transport refund or food voucher” in exchange for attending.
It would be comic if it weren’t so tragic. Wickremesinghe, once known for his impeccable tailoring and taste for elite hotels, now reportedly survives on diplomatic dinners, NGO invitations, and handouts from foreign embassies.
Several European envoys have confirmed that the former President has been attending policy dinners "uninvited but hungry," sometimes bringing a handwritten note requesting "vegetarian options."
“He eats more than he speaks,” said one bewildered diplomat. “But when he does speak, it’s usually to ask who’s covering the taxi fare.”
The NPP-led government is said to be pushing the Attorney General’s Department to finally indict Wickremesinghe for his alleged complicity in the Batalanda torture chamber scandal of the late 1980s — a ghost that has haunted him for decades.
The charges involve not just human rights abuses but allegations that Wickremesinghe, then a powerful minister, authorised a covert military intelligence operation that allegedly targeted JVP activists and political opponents.
But that’s not all. According to new financial investigations leaked to this newspaper, the AG’s office has also been reviewing:
Privatisation deals under Wickremesinghe's government which allegedly favoured certain oligarchs in exchange for “consultancy gifts.”
Appointments of individuals to key government boards and institutions without proper Cabinet or parliamentary vetting — a direct violation of the Constitution.
Undeclared gifts and trips paid by lobbyists, foreign hotels, and yes — breweries.
One brewery in particular, whose name cannot be disclosed for legal reasons, is said to have “entertained” Wickremesinghe numerous times during his premiership and presidency. In exchange? Possibly regulatory leniency.
Another tourism conglomerate reportedly funded a secretive “golf and wellness” trip to Portugal for Wickremesinghe in 2022, though it was never declared in the official president’s register.
Perhaps most damning for Wickremesinghe’s inner circle is the alleged rift between him and his long-time spouse, Maitree Wickremesinghe. According to multiple domestic staffers, Maitree was “furious” when rumours — and photos — surfaced of the President socialising late into the night with young male aides at undisclosed villas during his presidency.
The speculation, now fuelled by tabloid coverage and leaked internal messages, has become a source of gossip in Colombo’s elite social clubs and has also allegedly strained the couple’s finances.
Maitree has reportedly refused to assist with fundraising efforts or offer financial support, telling close friends: “He chose power over dignity. Now he can ask Ruwan to pay his dinner bills.”
While Ranil’s fall might be amusing, Ruwan’s rise is no laughing matter. The UNP — once the party of D.S. Senanayake, Dudley, and Premadasa — is now being handed over like a family Rolex, without a vote, a contest, or a vision.
Wijewardene has never held a senior Cabinet post. His brief tenure as State Minister for Defence was marked more by Instagram-worthy photoshoots than meaningful policy.
Worse still, a former partner of his — now living in Singapore — has threatened to publish a memoir documenting the “entirety of Ruwan’s emotional dependency, financial mismanagement, and affair with a Russian cello player.”
A senior UNP stalwart, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “We didn’t leave the UNP for this. We fought for democracy, not dynasty. But now we’re being run like a family-owned supermarket.”
It is now clear that Ranil Wickremesinghe’s last political act is not one of statesmanship — but of survival. With court cases looming, his travel history under investigation, his finances in tatters, and his trousers barely holding up, Wickremesinghe is pinning his hopes on Ruwan’s inheritance — political and financial.
But the strategy is flawed.
The new Attorney General, under NPP’s sweeping anti-corruption agenda, is reportedly preparing a dossier of 4,600 pages on Ranil’s transactions — including bank statements stretching back to 1984. Among them are curious deposits from offshore companies, a 2001 mystery donation from a Indian firm, and a luxury watch valued at $42,000 not declared in any official capacity.
Whether Wickremesinghe is finally indicted or simply fades into irrelevance, one thing is certain — his legacy is no longer one of reform or vision.
It is a parody.
The UNP once ushered in the open economy. Today, it cannot open its own meeting room without asking for a sponsor.
As one party insider put it: “We have no leader, no base, no voters, and now no belt. Maybe next time Ranil can borrow Ruwan’s watch and walk into Parliament asking for a bus pass.”
The tragedy of Ranil Wickremesinghe is that he once held the future of a nation in his hands. Today, he can barely hold up his own trousers.
-By LeN Political Editor in Colombo
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by (2025-08-08 18:20:16)
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