| Knowledge-Net for a Better World |
April 2020 |
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ADRN Issue Briefing
Democratic Downslide:
A Turbulent Road Ahead for a Post-Elections Sri Lanka
Niranjan Sahoo
Senior Fellow at Observer Research Foundation |
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| "How can the Rajapaksa Brothers’ Return to Power Threaten Sri Lankan Democracy?" |
The Sri Lanka Podjuana Perumana (SLPP) party led by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa won a landslide victory in Sri Lanka’s local government elections in February 2018. In addition, days after SLPP candidate and Mahinda’s younger brother, Gotobaya Rajapaksa, was elected as the new president of Sri Lanka, Mahinda was sworn in as prime minister for the third time in November 2019. Dr. Niranjan Sahoo, a Senior Fellow with the Governance and Politics Initiative at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), contends that the Rajapaksa brothers’ return to power represents an ongoing struggle between authoritarianism and democracy within Sri Lanka. In particular, the rapid consolidation of power by the Rajapaksa brothers has the potential to accelerate the process of democratic regression within the country and further suppress various minority groups (e.g., Muslims and Tamils). Furthermore, considering the Mahinda Rajapaksa’s support for China and its China’s Belt and Road (BRI) initiative, the new government under the Rajapaksa brothers is likely to strengthen Sri Lanka’s strategic engagement and international trade with China.
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