Sri Lanka – An assessment of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa presidency
The autocratic structure is swaying
In November 2019, Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected president of Sri Lanka. He comes from an influential family clan that has been in politics for decades. When running as candidate, Rajapaksa made three major promises: first, he promised to strengthen national security and fight terrorism. Second, he presented a proposal for a sustainable economic development and tax cuts in order to boost the economy. Third, he promised to strengthen unitary state – a long standing demand of the Sinhala-Buddhist majority population. Although the government enjoyed a honeymoon period in its initial months, there has been a drastic turnaround of support. Meanwhile, the public’s confidence in the government has eroded due to unpopular and ill-advised policies that has further plunged the economy. Not even three years following the commencement of the government´s term, the public´s confidence in the government has eroded due to unpopular and ill-advised policies leaving the country Sri Lanka in a desolated state. On May 9, then Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the brother of the incumbent president, resigned to make way for a unity government amid a violent wave that left several people dead and wounded. With his resignation the current cabinet was automatically dissolved. However, Rajapaksa has announced he will not resign under any circumstances. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan parliament has appointed 73-year-old Ranil Wickremesinghe to head the interim government before early elections are held. (The information in this report is relevant as of 26 May 2022.)