“This was the home of the most powerful man in the country,” said Sri Lankan author and analyst Asanga Abeyagoonasekera. “It had never been opened to the public.” He has since moved to Singapore, arriving on what authorities confirmed was a “private visit”. On Friday, the speaker of Sri Lanka’s parliament accepted Rajapaksa’s resignation, ending nearly three years in office. “Resigning was really the only option he had,” Abeyagoonasekera said. “People are tired, hungry and angry… And they’re demanding change and accountability because they’re tired of seeing the same people in charge.”
“We can’t afford to pick or choose”
Rajapaksa may be gone, but Sri Lanka is still struggling with a devastating economic crisis and experts said things are likely to get worse before they get better. Protests over daily power outages, rising fuel prices and severe shortages of essential items such as food and medicine began in March and have shown little sign of abating. “There is zero political stability,” Abeyagoonasekera said. “We have seen three Cabinets in two months, with a fourth to come. Urgent change is needed to restore the country.” Despite the government’s array of crisis control measures, the situation remains desperate for millions across the country. “We are still short of food, medicine and fuel,” said Colombo-based political analyst Amita Arudpragasam. “Policies were also ineffective and confusing.” Analysts said the crisis began around 2019. But for many Sri Lankans, the warning signs were still evident in 2010, when Gotabaya’s brother Rajapaksa Mahinda was re-elected President for a second term. “It was a ticking time bomb,” Arudpragasam said of Rajapksa’s era. “The government was giving massive cuts to the wealthy elite as well as to corporations when they should have raised taxes. Money that could have been reinvested in the population was used to pay down debt obligations — and none of that helped address of the many weaknesses in our economy”. Gotabaya Rajapaksa took office in late 2019, having previously held only the unelected position of defense minister in his brother’s administration. Critics say he has mismanaged the economy, investing huge sums in the military while implementing sweeping tax cuts despite international warnings, causing government revenues to plummet. “Rajapaksa didn’t listen to anyone’s advice and was supported by people who didn’t understand how an economy like ours should work,” Arudpragasam said. “(The government) refused to admit the economy was in crisis until it was too late.” Urgent humanitarian aid is now needed, he said. “We are in a crisis situation where we cannot afford to pick or choose.” In 2020, the World Bank reclassified Sri Lanka as a lower-middle-income country amid currency collapse and rising inflation rates. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe declared the country “bankrupt”. “Our economy has faced a complete collapse,” he said.
“One of the best places in the world”
The crisis has shocked many in the international community, who remember a different Sri Lanka. “In many ways, Sri Lanka is a development success story,” said Philippe Le Houérou, former World Bank vice president for South Asia. “It stands out as a lower-middle-income country in a region that is home to the largest concentration of the poor in the world.” After the end of Sri Lanka’s bloody civil war in 2009, the country entered a period of peace and stability. Trade flourished and international tourists returned to the country’s beaches, resorts and tea plantations. Le Houérou highlighted Sri Lanka’s “impressive” post-war social achievements. “Economic growth has been strong and prosperity has spread widely,” he said, adding that life expectancy was also among the highest in the region. The World Economic Forum (WEF) once named Sri Lanka the richest economy in South Asia. “The island is reaping the benefits of early investment in higher education and training… and needs to focus on areas that are most important to enable efficiencies that will lead to further growth,” the WEF said in a 2016 report. they said tourism, one of Sri Lanka’s most lucrative industries, never had a chance to recover after the 2019 Easter terror attacks followed by the pandemic, which hit the following year. “We had a strong agricultural base and one of the most exciting tourism industries in the world,” said Abeyagoonasekera, the author. “With the absence of proper governance, we have gone from a fragile state to a crisis state and now to a failed state.” But he added: “Sri Lanka was one of the best places in the world and I believe that with the right guidelines and functioning institutions, it can become that place again.” All eyes are on a rescue plan with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has been “closely monitoring” developments in the country since talks ended in June without an agreement. Government mismanagement has also further complicated the recovery, analysts said. “The IMF is not going to give us financial support without political stability, not when the country is still on a knife’s edge,” said researcher Sanjana Hattotuwa. He added that while the protesters had achieved early goals of Rajapaksa stepping down, the country now faced great uncertainty. “There is no easy fix for a broken economy,” he said. “But the first step would be a new government and elections are needed.”
“It’s time for a change”
With Gotabaya Rajapaksa now out of the country, public anger has turned to Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, the current Deputy President. “Wickremesinghe was Rajapaksa’s choice for prime minister, that’s the problem,” said Abeyagoonasekera, the author. “He is politically connected to the Rajapaksas and his interest (has always been) to protect them.” Others repeated the call for elections. “The protest movement is not slowing down and many Sri Lankans have realized the importance of their role as citizens in holding those in power accountable,” said Ambika Satkunanathan, a human rights lawyer who once served at the United Nations and the Human Rights Commission. in Sri Lanka. He also said he would not rule out the possibility of the Rajapaksas returning to power. “They may have abandoned ship while it was sinking, but they are knowledgeable and have been in the political game for decades,” he said. “But there is a window now and it’s time for a change. The government needs to call an election sooner rather than later.” Wickmenesinghe will remain acting president until Parliament elects a new Speaker, with lawmakers expected to meet on Saturday to begin the process. No date has yet been set for the vote, but under the constitution Wickremesinghe will only be allowed to hold office for a maximum of 30 days. Once elected, the new President will serve out the remaining two years originally allotted for Rajapaksa’s term. Parliamentary elections were last held in 2020 and presidential elections in 2019 — months after the Easter church bombings. Gotabaya Rajapaksa won after a close race against then ruling party candidate Sajith Premadasa. Wickremesinghe’s appointment on Wednesday did not go down well with protesters storming his office demanding his resignation. Police fired tear gas and water cannons at the protesters and a state of emergency was declared across the country. On Friday, Sri Lanka’s ruling party confirmed that Wickremesinghe is its candidate for President in the upcoming elections. However, Sri Lankans remain determined, analysts said, and want to see new people and faces in government. “The interim President will be tasked with stabilizing the economy for a few months,” Abeyagoonasekera said. “But he would not be a leader elected by the people and that is an obstacle.”
“Lack of Accountability”
The Rajapaksas drew much of their strength from the “war hero” status accorded them by the majority of the population after then-President Mahinda declared victory in 2009 in the 26-year civil war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels — a campaign which was overseen by then Defense Secretary Gotabaya.
According to a 2011 United Nations report, Sri Lankan government troops were responsible for abuses, including the deliberate bombing of civilians, summary executions, rape, and blocking food and medicine from reaching affected communities. The UN report said “a number of reliable sources estimated that there could have been as many as 40,000 civilian deaths”.
The Rajapaksas have always flatly denied such allegations.
Satkunanathan, the human rights lawyer, said Sri Lanka’s next long-term leader must “address entrenched problems such as ethnic conflict, responsibility for human rights abuses, and have the commitment and integrity to rebuild trust of the public”.
“Because we simply cannot afford to slide back into a crisis like the one we’re facing today,” he said.
Global rights groups such as Human Rights Watch (HRW) have also said that the UN mandate to investigate alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka should be maintained.
“Gotabaya Rajapaksa and other defendants should also be properly investigated and prosecuted,” said Elaine Pearson, HRW’s acting Asia director.
Independent investigations and prosecutions are also needed into Sri Lanka’s economic mismanagement, he added.
“Investigations should be conducted into alleged corruption that contributed to this crisis, including any attempts to hide assets abroad,” he said. “Foreign governments should investigate the assets and freeze them if necessary.”
Pearson also reiterated the urgency of elections.
“The urgent priority is a peaceful transition of power that respects rights and addresses the root causes of the political and economic crisis, which is ultimately about lack of accountability, corruption and the weakening of institutions that were meant to…
