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What Next For The Rajapaksas And Sri Lanka?
Nitin A. Gokhale
- 7 minutes read
NEW DELHI: He was trying to be a round peg in a square hole but his regimented and military approach to governance could not save Sri Lanka. The very people who elected Gotabaya Rajapaksa President of this beautiful island nation with great enthusiasm and popular support in November 2019, eventually turned against him on Saturday, July 9. Months of discontent and frustration brought about by the collapse of the country’s economy erupted in an amorphous mob fury forcing Gotabaya to announce he would resign as President on July 14, two years and a half before his term was to end.
Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was appointed Prime Minister by Gotabaya less than two months ago, has already resigned. An interim President and an all-party government will likely be in place this week to try and administer the country that has defaulted on its sovereign debt and is desperately waiting for a bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Elections may have to be held to elect a new President and a new Parliament as soon as possible. It is, however, not clear how the interim government will find a way out of the economic mess. Sri Lanka has no foreign currency in its kitty; food items, fuel and medicines continue to be in short supply....Read More
