More on the Return of the Rajapaksas

I have some concerns about Sadanand Dhume’s latest Wall Street Journal column. For starters, it’s just plain wrong to state that the Rajapaksas’ return to power “marks a stunning political comeback.” A Gotabaya Rajapaksa presidency has been talked about for years. Since his brother, the recently appointed Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa lost the presidency in January 2015, he led the opposition against the coalition government that was formed in 2015. His obtaining the premiership has been talked about for years too. Furthermore, the Sri Lanka People’s Front, a Rajapaksa-backed political party, dominated local government elections in February 2018. And Gotabaya Rajapaksa was the heavy favorite in this presidential election.

The article also misunderstands the role that Sinhalese-Buddhist nationalism has played in Sri Lankan politics and society for the past seven decades. “Ethnic chauvinism” has always been a big part of mainstream political discourse. The Rajapaksas definitely use their credentials as “heroes” who defeated the ruthless Tamil Tigers and ended a long civil war. However, Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s principal challenger, Sajith Premadasa, also espoused strong Sinhalese-Buddhist nationalist sentiments on the campaign trail.

Furthermore, Muslim and Tamil votes for Mr. Premadasa were not an endorsement for him. They were a repudiation of a family that pursued an extremely aggressive anti-minority agenda during their decade in power and whose leaders, Mahinda and Gotabaya, stand credibly accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity for their role in the civil war.