Sri Lanka’s tale of two prime ministers ends with Wickremesinghe in charge
▶ Rival Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned to ensure stability, his son said
Sri Lanka swore in Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister yesterday, reinstating the leader who was fired by President Maithripala Sirisena over an alleged assassination plot against the head of state.
His reinstatement brought to an end a political crisis that started in October.
The South Asian island country plunged into instability after Mr Sirisena replaced Mr Wickremesinghe with Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was then sacked twice by parliament.
Mr Rajapaksa resigned on Saturday as a government shutdown loomed.
His son Namal yesterday tweeted his congratulations to Mr Wickremesinghe, saying he hoped the returning prime minister would be able to address the issues of Sri Lankans “more than western interests”.
Mr Rajapaksa held a multifaith service at his home on Saturday where he signed a letter relinquishing the post of prime minister controversially conferred on him on October 26.
Hours after receiving blessings from various clergy, the former president, 73, vowed to make a comeback at local council elections.
“There is no doubt at all that the people who stood by us since 2015 will continue to support us in the future as well,” he said, addressing his close associates. “We will bring the forces opposed to the country down to their knees by organising the people.”
Mr Sirisena triggered the political turmoil by sacking Mr Wickremesinghe and replacing him with his flamboyant former foe, Mr Rajapaksa.
But Mr Wickremesinghe refused to step down, insisting his sacking was illegal.
The crisis left the Indian Ocean nation of 21 million people with two men claiming the premiership.
Mr Rajapaksa was then defeated in a no-confidence motion on November 14.
But the next day, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya ruled that he would recognise neither man as prime minister, leaving Sri Lanka effectively without a government.
The country was heading for a government shutdown as parliament failed to approve spending for next year and credit rating agencies downgraded its debt amid fears of a sovereign default.
There were doubts about the country’s ability, without a legally constituted government, to repay $1.5 billion (Dh5.5bn) due to bondholders by January 10.
Namal Rajapaksa announced on Friday that his father – who as president ended Sri Lanka’s civil war in 2009 amid allegations of grave rights abuses – would throw in the towel “to ensure stability”.
The decision came after the Supreme Court confirmed that Mr Rajapaksa could not exercise the powers of a prime minister until he proved his legitimacy, which, without enough support in parliament, was impossible.
In a climbdown, Mr Sirisena agreed on Friday to reinstate Mr Wickremesinghe yesterday despite previously insisting he would never in his lifetime reappoint him as prime minister.
Sri Lanka’s political drama might have come to an end, but the divisive power struggle at its core is far from resolved. President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision in October to sack his prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, and appoint the former political strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa in his stead, plunged the country into chaos. And as parliament descended into mayhem, with two men simultaneously claiming legitimacy, fears grew of a return to the sectarian violence that killed thousands between 1983 and 2009. It was, after all, Mr Rajapaksa who brought Sri Lanka’s war to an end in brutal fashion. Fortunately, those fears were never realised. Left humiliated after failing to form a parliamentary majority, being barred from using state funds, suffering defeat in a no-confidence vote and being blocked from calling a general election by Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court, Mr Rajapaksa resigned on Saturday and, in turn, Mr Wickremesinghe was reinstated.
It is almost a decade since Sri Lanka last attracted global attention, but the nation’s politicians should tread carefully and the international community would be wise to keep an eye on Colombo, too. The charismatic and ruthless Mr Rajapaksa, who remains popular among Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese population, insinuated that he would mobilise the public against Mr Wickremesinghe and make a comeback in local council elections. “We will bring the forces opposed to the country down to their knees,” he declared in a bitter resignation statement. It is reasonable to expect that Mr Rajapaksa will hold even more sway over his supporters as an aggrieved outsider than he would in the prime minister’s residence. Meanwhile, Mr Sirisena still holds a grudge against Mr Wickremsinghe, whom he accuses of handling an alleged plot to assassinate him with indifference. Mr Sisrena’s accusations are unconvincing, but in Sri Lanka’s febrile atmosphere, that is not really the point.
Colombo is lurching towards economic ruin as it buckles under the weight of enormous debt, owed mostly to China, with whom Mr Rajapaksa has strong ties. The government will shut down by January unless a temporary budget is swiftly approved by a bitterly divided parliament. The political elite must now set aside self-regard and unite to bring stability and growth. Because despite its reputation as a lush tourist destination, the scars of Sri Lanka’s war run deep. And the great triumphs of the past decade are at risk of falling apart.