8/10/2019 Sri Lanka Votes Against Fear and Kleptocracy

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Sri Lanka votes against fearand kleptocracy BY JEFF KINGSTON

Thestunning ouster of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Jan. 8 wasgood news for that island nation of 20 million and further e!iden"e of auni!ersal #earning for good go!ernan"e.$fter a de"ade in power Sri Lankans "hose to hold Rajapaksa a""ounta%lefor e&tensi!e "orruption and nepotism and for presiding o!er a "limate ofintimidation. 'is relati!es and "ronies dominated ke# ministries andinstitutions and a%used their powers to raid the pu%li" purse and silen"e"riti"s. (ne)famil# authoritarian rule under the Sri Lanka *reedom Part# didnot pass pu%li" muster and despite the "hallenger+s late start and la"k ofresour"es demo"ra"# pre!ailed.,alling a snap ele"tion two #ears earl# pro!ed an unwise gam%le asRajapaksa sought a third term %ut Sri Lankans are deepl# atta"hed to their

demo"rati" !alues and did not want a Raja for life.-n 200 Rajapaksa %rought an end to the de!astating fratri"idal war thatengulfed his nation sin"e the earl# / 80s one that "laimed as man# as/00 000 li!es and he has sin"e %asked in the aftermath of his !i"tor#.'owe!er what the opposition termed foolish famil# nepotism1 underminedhis legitima"#. People whispered a%out his relati!es running the go!ernmentlike a efdom 3 and his relian"e on "riminal elements 3 %ut e!en so

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Rajapaksa+s !i"tor# seemed ine!ita%le.4ut then Maithripala Sirisena his health minister resigned from the ,a%inetand "o%%led together an unlikel# "oalition that tapped into widespread anti)Rajapaksa sentiment. 'e won the %a"king of the main opposition 5nited6ational Part# while Tamils in the north and east 3 the %astion of thedefeated Tamil Tigers 3 also rallied in support. Those areas are frustratedwith Rajapaksa+s utter failure to promote postwar ethni" re"on"iliation 3stonewalling in!estigations into war "rimes "ommitted %# se"urit# for"esagainst Tamil "i!ilians 3 and the ongoing militar# domination of the largel#

Tamil north whi"h in"ludes du%ious sei7ures of propert#. Moreo!erRajapaksa failed to deli!er on promises of the de!olution of powers andinstead "on"entrated them in his e&e"uti!e presiden"#. Muslim !oters alsoturned on Rajapaksa as his go!ernment failed to a"t against atta"ks %#

Sinhalese e&tremists whi"h instigated "ommunal !iolen"e and deadl#rioting in 20/ .-n the nal tall# Sirisena won 9/.28 per"ent of the !ote !ersus :;.98per"ent for Rajapaksa %ut gained less than half of the majorit# Sinhalese!ote a slim margin of !i"tor# that will put a premium on re"on"iling a !er#polari7ed nation. 'e urgentl# needs to restore the rule of law judi"ialautonom# and press freedoms while pursuing a""ounta%ilit# and promotingtransparen"# %ut has to o!er"ome a de"ade of de%ilitating damage. The

Tamils ha!e waited too long for pea"e with justi"e and surel# wel"ome thepresident+s rapid de"ision to dismiss the e&)militar# go!ernor in the north.'e should follow up %# stripping the militar# of land it has illegall# si7ed inthe pro!in"e and res"ind the Pre!ention ofTerrorism$"t whi"h allowsse"urit# for"es to a"t with impunit#. 'e also must demonstrate thatthuggish Sinhalese "hau!inist groups su"h as the 4odu 4ala Sena will %eheld a""ounta%le.6ow that he is in power Sirisena has the daunting "hallenge of meeting!oters+ di!ergent e&pe"tations holding a ssiparous "oalition together

while promoting good go!ernan"e di!esting his o<"e of e&"essi!e powersand deli!ering on the impressi!e !ision laid out in his length# manifesto. -nthis pro"ess allegations that Rajakapsa tried to enlist se"urit# for"es in a"oup to o!erturn the ele"tion results and the enri"hment of the Rajapaksafamil# merit spe"ial s"rutin# 3 not as part of a wit"h hunt %ut todemonstrate that the law applies e=uall# to the powerful.

The international "ommunit# seeks progress on addressing the war "rimes

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agenda. ,learl# a re"koning is o!erdue and there "an %e no re"on"iliationwithout justi"e %ut it ma# %e wise to gi!e the new go!ernment the %ene tof the dou%t and wait for it to take the initiati!e in so"iali7ing a""ounta%ilit#pro"esses to gain wider a""eptan"e.Sirisena+s main task o!er the rst /00 da#s will %e undertaking"onstitutional and ele"toral reforms aimed at diluting the powers of hiso<"e. Parliamentar# ele"tions are e&pe"ted in $pril and it remains to %eseen if one of the main parties "an win outright or if there will %e a return tounsta%le "oalitions. $s a result >ushni ?eerakoon deput# dire"tor of the-nstitute of Poli"# Studies sa#s the e"onomi" outlook remains un"lear.“ @uite frankl# the hard work of deli!ering on promises will %e the mostdi<"ult part for the new president 1 she sa#s.$""ording to ?eerakoon it appears unlikel# that an# single part# will gain a

majorit# in the parliamentar# ele"tions meaning "oalition go!ernment andless "han"e for ro%ust e"onomi" reforms.

There is also "onsidera%le spe"ulation a%out the international impli"ationsof Sirisena+s !i"tor#. Rajapaksa promoted "lose ties with 4eijing opening upthe spigot for loans and infrastru"ture proje"ts in wa#s that were unsettlingto -ndia Sri Lanka+s giant neigh%or. -n addition to a seldom)used airport inRajapaksa+s home region in the southeast ,hina helped de!elop the'am%antota Port whi"h is des"ri%ed as part of 4eijing+s string of pearls1strateg# ena%ling it to proje"t na!al power in the -ndian ("ean.-n his manifesto President)ele"t Sirisena raised the alarm o!er foreigndomination of Sri Lanka and a""umulating foreign de%t not)so)su%tlereferen"es to ,hina+s growing dominan"e. 'e also tapped intoen!ironmentalists+ "on"erns a%out a major land re"lamation and portde!elopment proje"t in ,olom%o that is sponsored %# ,hina while warningthat future generations would %e redu"ed to de%t ser!itude if Rajapaksa+sst#le of sweetheart deals persisted.Sirisena+s manifesto also promises a major house"leaning of the nation+s

foreign ser!i"eA The whole world knows that our foreign poli"# is indisarra# after the militar# !i"tor# of 200 . (n the one hand we ha!e noproper foreign poli"# while on the other hand a""ompli"es with noknowledge of diploma"# ha!e %een appointed to the *oreign Ser!i"e. The#tr# to maintain international relations in the same wa# as the# attend todomesti" work in their !illages %# resorting to %ri%er# and thugger#.1 Somewill %e s=uirming.

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Sirisena also made mu"h of Sri Lanka+s growing isolation in theinternational "ommunit# suggesting that Rajapaksa+s foot)dragging on war"rimes a""ounta%ilit# and his strategi" shift toward ,hina ha!e underminedthe national interest. This has raised e&pe"tations in 6ew >elhi ?ashingtonand Tok#o a%out wooing ,olom%o and nding out more a%out Sirisena+se&pressed desire to esta%lish e=ual relations with regional powers. (nee&pe"ts that this will "ome up during 5.S. President 4ara"k (%ama+smeeting with Prime Minister 6arendra Modi on his !isit to 6ew >elhi laterthis month.

osted !y T"ava#