Table of Contents
The results!!
- President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother, who is former two-term President Mahinda Rajapaksa, have registered a landslide victory in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election.
- Rajapaksa brothers lead Sri Lanka People’s Freedom Alliance (SLPFA), of which their Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) is a majority stakeholder.
- The alliance won winning at least 145 seats, out of a total of 225 in the unicameral legislature. (2/3 majority – 151).
Forecast of things to come!
- Rajapaksa family strengthening its grip on SL
- SLPP no longer needs to enter into compromises with other parties to bring sweeping constitutional changes to increase powers of the president.
- They might possibly remove two-term limit on the presidency.
- They may dilute 19th SL Constitutional Amendment act 2015 which limited presidents powers and distributed powers to PM, Parliament and other institutions.
- Continuing centralisation of power, may lead to rising authoritarianism.
- SLPP no longer needs to enter into compromises with other parties to bring sweeping constitutional changes to increase powers of the president.
Forecast of things to come!
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- Possible tensions with Tamil minority.
- Gotabaya in presidential elections in 2019 and SLPP in 2020 elections enjoyed huge majoritarian support from ethnic Sinhalese.
- Weak and fractured opposition.
- UNP, led by former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe – 1 seat
- SJB, led by Presidential challenger Sajith Premadasa – 54 seats
- Economic crisis
- SL economy is struggling under the burden of low tourism numbers, coronavirus pandemic induced economic inactivity and crushing foreign debt.
Implications for India
What to do?
- India cannot match the deep pockets of the Chinese..!!
- However, we can counter China with cultural diplomacy and soft power.
- We need leverage our proximity to Sri Lanka and expose chinese debt trap to open SL’s eyes.
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