Who are the Rajapaksa brothers?
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, 73, president since 2019, is a member of a clan that has dominated Sri Lankan political life for decades.
His brother Mahinda, 76, the clan’s charismatic leader, was the country’s president for a decade, until 2015. He is deeply indebted to the country, especially to China where huge debts are contracted to fund large infrastructure projects tainted by suspicions of corruption.
Mahinda is revered by the ethnic Sinhalese majority for crushing the Tamil Tiger guerrillas in 2009, ending 37 years of civil war. Gotabaya – nicknamed the “Terminator” – was then his chief lieutenant, holding influential posts as secretary of the Ministry of Defense and controlling the armed forces and police.
Following his access to the presidency, Gotabaya appointed his brother to the post of Prime Minister but Mahinda had to resign in May after particularly violent clashes between security forces and demonstrators.
What happened to the economy?
The tourism sector, which is vital to the island’s economy, suffered a backlash from the April 2019 jihadist attacks on churches and hotels (279 people died, including 45 foreigners), then due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The biggest tax cuts in the island’s history, granted by Gotabaya for his access to the presidency, have also emptied the coffers, and Sri Lanka has found itself without enough foreign exchange to import what it needs. , be it food, medicine or fuel.
Despite aid from India and other countries, in April 2022 the country defaulted on its $51 billion foreign debt, and sought a bailout from the International Monetary Fund.
What are the consequences for the population?
Sri Lankans have been living for months with shortages of food and medicine, blackouts due to a shortage of fuel for power generation, and shortages of gasoline that restrict travel.
Soaring inflation (55% in June alone) makes some of what can still be found inaccessible to most of the population.
The United Nations has warned that the country is in danger of a serious humanitarian crisis, with more than three-quarters of the population having to reduce their diet.
Why is Rajapaksa still in place?
After months of demonstrations, in May supporters of the president violently attacked demonstrators. Nine people were killed and hundreds injured in these clashes, which prompted the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the president’s brother.
However, he managed to hold on to power, appointing a political veteran, Ranil Wickremesinghe, as head of government until Saturday.
On Saturday 9 July, demonstrators, after forcing him to flee the presidential palace they were attacking, also set fire to his house (where he was not present). He later announced his intention to step down next week.
And now ?
Parliament then legally has one month to choose a successor. But the Speaker of Parliament has promised a decision by the end of the week. A promise that may be difficult to keep, as for now it seems that no one in the parliament can get enough support.
“We are heading into a dangerous period of uncertainty,” Tamil lawmaker Dharmalingam Sithadthan told AFP. Gota should have resigned immediately, to avoid a power vacuum. »
