{
  "id": 18405703,
  "title": "Searching for leadership: Can we bring back qualities of our golden years?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/searching-for-leadership-can-we-bring-back-qualities-of-our-golden",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-05T23:45:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Island Sri Lanka",
    "slug": "the-island-sri-lanka",
    "url": "http://island.lk/searching-for-leadership-can-we-bring-back-qualities-of-our-golden-years/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Sri Lanka, the desire for political leaders with qualities reminiscent of the nation's golden years has become increasingly apparent. A direct quote from the source reads: \"Every candidate for public office must declare by affidavit that they are fully entitled and eligible. No pending criminal cases. No hidden assets.\" However, the reality is that many politicians have evaded accountability, leading to widespread shame, sadness, and guilt among the populace.\n\nThe source highlights the stark contrast between the past and present. Literacy, life expectancy, and per capita income have significantly improved, yet political trust has plummeted. The source argues that society does not simply demand revolution, but rather leadership with values such as intelligence, clear vision, patriotism, honesty, and integrity.\n\nThe article suggests that the decline began after Dudley Senanayake's death in 1973, when the country lost a Prime Minister known for compassion, restraint, and foresight. The 1970 general elections, marred by bogus promises and divisiveness, marked a turning point. Standards since then have eroded, and political leaders have been unfairly painted with the same brush, tarnishing the country's reputation internationally.\n\nHowever, the source reminds us of Sri Lanka's unique achievements, including free education and healthcare for all citizens. The solution, it argues, lies in cleaning the house of politics through stringent eligibility checks, ensuring clean track records, and holding party leaders responsible for candidates' qualifications. The ideal leader, it suggests, should embody a blend of qualities from Sri Lanka's political past, including D.S. Senanayake's vision, Dudley Senanayake's humanism, Sirimavo Bandaranaike's nationalism, Sir John Kotelawala's decisiveness, and Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam's integrity.",
  "summary": "Aragalaya (2022) exposed some of the maladies that beset politics. It opened the eyes of millions. But the “system change” and “Utopia” promised by the new generation have become another false election promise. And so, society is in darkness. Shame, sadness, and guilt have replaced hope. Yet we must also be fair. The past 76 […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}