### 📉 UNP Launches "Smart Digital Drive" Amid Leadership Crisis

The United National Party (UNP) has officially introduced its ‘Smart UNP Digital Drive’, a structural modernization effort aimed at reclaiming political relevance through technology. While the initiative targets the "Zen Beta" generation, it faces sharp criticism for masking a deeper institutional stagnation. • Digital Infrastructure & Connectivity The party launched high-speed Starlink satellite internet at its Sirikotha headquarters. The drive includes the rollout of a new UNP Mobile App and the appointment of 1,000 Digital Ward Coordinators across all electoral wards to streamline internal operations and public engagement. • Leadership & Structural Reforms Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized a transition toward "Smart Politics," proposing new roles such as Digital Administrators. However, critics argue these "vibe-based" branding exercises fail to address a 30-year leadership deadlock and a "terminal-stage" loss of public trust. • Strategic Focus & Economic Context The initiative aligns with the party's broader ICT/BPM focus, aiming to prepare future leaders for global technological challenges. Despite the digital push, the party's core challenge remains a "catastrophic failure of vision" and a disconnect from a youth demographic increasingly wary of patronizing political promises. • Provisional Outlook The success of this digital transformation depends on whether the UNP can complement technical tools with genuine leadership renewal. Without a "clean break" from the established elite, the digital drive risk being viewed as a mere gimmick by an astute electorate.