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In 2019, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the younger brother of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was elected Sri Lanka’s President with a thumping majority. He promised security and prosperity to Sri Lankans who were shaken by the April 2019 Easter bombings. His victory marked the return of the Rajapaksas to power after a brief interregnum. Mr. Mahinda became the Prime Minister. Brothers Basil Rajapaksa and Chamal Rajapaksa and Mahinda’s son Namal were also inducted into the Cabinet. But the reign of the family didn’t last long. As Sri Lanka fell into an unprecedented economic crisis throwing its citizens into extreme hardship and triggering mass protests, the mighty Rajapaksas turned out to be the villains. They fell one after another amid public fury. Last week, Mr. Gotabaya became the last Rajapaksa to quit power.
His fall from grace was so steep that he had to flee the country, first to the Maldives and then to Singapore, before sending his resignation by email. The President apparently wanted to leave the country before he lost presidential immunity. After his resignation, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as Acting President. According to the Sri Lankan Constitution, if the office of the President falls vacant, a new President must be elected through Parliament within one month. Mr. Wickremesinghe, who became Prime Minister six times, has set his sights on the country’s top job. Even if a stable government is in place, Sri Lanka’s problems are far from over, as the economic crisis, coupled with hyper inflation and shortages, is becoming worse every passing day.
While Sri Lanka witnessed some of its most dramatic political developments in recent days, many still wonder how did the Rajapaksas fall? How did the protests gain such a momentum that tens of thousands of people crowded Colombo’s seafront and occupied the sites of power. In The Hindu Profiles, Meera Srinivasan, our correspondent in Colombo, reconstructs the Janatha Aragalaya, as the protest movement is called, brick by brick. The protesters may have met their biggest demand – they chanted ‘Gota go home’, demanding the resignation of the President. “But if it is truly system change that the citizens’ uprising desires, the Janatha Aragalaya may have just begun,” Meera writes in the profile.
Biden in West Asia
U.S. President Joe Biden walks to board a plane following an Arab summit, at King Abdulaziz International Airprot, in Jeddah. Photo: Reuters | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Joe Biden took his first trip to West Asia as U.S. President last week where he met Israeli, Palestinian and Arab leaders, besides attending a virtual summit of the I2U2 leaders (India, Israel, the U.S. and the UAE). The visit saw the U.S. President taking a pragmatic turn in foreign policy to strengthen America’s traditional alliance in the region, involving Israel and Sunni Arab nations. As a candidate, Mr. Biden had vowed to punish Saudi Arabia over the killing of Jamal Khashoggi and other human rights abuses. But President Biden met and held talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who, according to the CIA, ordered the killing of Khashoggi, practically bringing an end to the administration’s apparent efforts to isolate the Saudi leader. Why? Geopolitical as well as domestic reasons forced Mr. Biden’s hands, I write in this news analysis. Mr. Biden had said in the past that “human rights will be the centre of our foreign policy”. But in West Asia, “neither Israel’s violent occupation of Palestinian territories nor the abysmal rights records of the Sunni Arab dictators and monarchs stopped the American President from pursuing his administration’s foreign policy objectives,” The Hindu writes in an editorial.
In the I2U2 summit, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders, India agreed to provide “appropriate land” for “food parks” across the country that will be built in collaboration with Israel, the U.S. and the UAE. Days before the summit, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan had said I2U2 could become “a feature” of the West Asian region, just like the Quad is for the Indo-Pacific.
China watch
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) take part in a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana. | Photo Credit: AFP
Iran and Belarus are set to be the newest members of the China and Russia-backed Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. When SCO leaders, including Prime Minister Modi, President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin, meet in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in September, the expansion of the grouping would top their agenda. “The significance of this round of expansion is that it shows the SCO’s rising international influence and that the principles of the SCO charter are being widely accepted,” SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming, a veteran Chinese diplomat, said. The summit could also see Prime Minister Modi meet President Xi for the first time since the 2020 Galwan clashes.
Meanwhile, China’s President Xi Jinping on Friday held a rare meeting with Chinese military commanders and troops involved in the ongoing stand-off with India in Eastern Ladakh. State media said Mr. Xi, who also heads the Central Military Commission (CMC), “fully affirmed the outstanding contributions made by troops stationed in Xinjiang to strengthen border defence and stabilise Xinjiang”, Ananth Krishnan reports from Beijing.
The Top 5
- Why the world needs peace in Ukraine:The world cannot afford the continuation of this war, and India is in a unique position to help, writes Sashi Tharoor.
- In Sri Lanka, no quiet after the storm:In the days ahead, new confrontations, with consequences for newly gained democratic freedom, are likely to spring up, writes Jayadeva Uyangoda.
- The Ukraine war and the return to Euro-centrism:The political and military aftermath of the Ukraine conflict could set the stage for the return of a Euro-centric world order, writes Happymon Jacob.
- A lacklustre presidential race in the making:Democrats and Republicans have to brace themselves for soul searching and painful decision-making before 2024, writes Sridhar Krishnaswami.
- What will be the impact of euro-dollar parity?: How will the falling euro affect 19 countries in the Eurozone which use the currency? What lies ahead? Prashanth Perumal explains.
Published - July 18, 2022 05:28 pm IST
