Violence erupts in Sri Lanka after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was sacked by President Sirisena. He has been replaced by ex-President Mahinde Rajapaksa, who is credited with a proclivity to the Chinese. In 2014, Sri Lanka’s joint opposition, led by former president Chandrika Bandaranaike…
Violence erupts in Sri Lanka after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was sacked by President Sirisena. He has been replaced by ex-President Mahinde Rajapaksa, who is credited with having a proclivity to the Chinese.
Background
In 2014, Sri Lanka’s joint opposition, led by former president Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumarathunga and then leader of opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe, shocked the island nation by declaring that Maithripala Sirisena would take on incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa in the 2015 presidential elections. Maithripala Sirisena ousted then President Mahinda Rajapaksa. As expected, Sirisena appointed Ranil Wickremesinghe as the prime minister. A few months later, The United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) came together to form a national unity government under Sirisena and Wickremesinghe.
Sirisena and Wickremesinghe differed over several vital issues, including handling of the relationship with two Asian giants and neighbours — India and China.
In 2015, India and Sri Lanka signed a nuclear energy deal to improve relationships. Under Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka had made remarkable efforts to address the country’s unresolved issues with India. Although Sirisena outlined the general foreign policy goals of his government that will treat key Asian countries, India, China Pakistan and Japan equally, Sri Lanka has moved closer to China, especially in terms of the naval agreement. Recently, Sri Lanka has also supported the Chinese position in the South China Sea dispute.
Analysis
President Maithripala Sirisena, in a televised speech, announced the sacking of prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe and his cabinet over economic mismanagement, as well as a minister’s alleged involvement in an assassination plot against him and a former defence secretary. He swore in ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the new Prime Minister to replace him. Rajapaksa is known to be a powerful ally of China.
The political crisis in Sri Lanka took a deadly turn with one person killed and two wounded when a sacked cabinet minister tried to re-enter his office, days after the president removed the prime minister. The violence took place at the headquarters of state oil company, Ceylon Petroleum, where Arjuna Ranatunga, petroleum minister in the ousted cabinet, tried to re-enter his office. One of Ranatunga’s security guards opened fire.
Since Rajapaksa was sworn in, trade unions allied to him have blocked government buildings to prevent members of the former cabinet from reaching their offices. Also, Sirisena has suspended the parliament until November 16, a move that the ousted prime minister’s supporters say was intended to prevent lawmakers from showing support for Wickremesinghe.
Ranjan Ramanayake, a legislator from Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP), said some lawmakers had been offered up to $4.6 million each to switch sides and support Rajapaksa. “This is an international conspiracy,” Ramanayake told reporters at Wickremesinghe’s official residence, accusing China of “spending money to buy over members”.
A majority of lawmakers have not endorsed Rajapaksa. Parliament speaker Karu Jayasuriya urged the president to protect Wickremesinghe’s rights and privileges “until any other person emerges from within the Parliament as having the secure confidence of the Parliament”. Wickremesinghe says it is an illegal move and that he is still the prime minister. In an address to the nation, Sirisena said his action to change the government was “totally in accordance with the constitution and on the advice of legal experts”.
Rajapaksa ruled as president from 2005-2015. In a statement released, he pledged to “eschew the politics of hate and set up an interim government that will protect the human rights of all citizens, that will protect the independence of the judiciary and establish law and order.” He called on lawmakers to support his new government.
According to the website of Sri Lanka’s parliament, Wickremesinghe’s UNP has 106 seats in the 225-member House, while Sirisena’s United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has 95. Two UNP MPs have defected to the UPFA since the crisis began. Sources close to Rajapaksa have said there will be more cross-overs. The removed prime minister is now calling for an emergency Parliament sitting to prove he still has a majority.
The U.S. State Department urged all sides to refrain from violence and called on Sirisena to immediately reconvene parliament and “allow the democratically elected representatives of the Sri Lankan people to fulfil their responsibility to affirm who will lead their government.”
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called on the Sri Lankan government to respect democratic values and constitutional provisions and process, uphold the rule of law and ensure the safety and security of all Sri Lankans.
Rajapaksa’s return to government has prompted concern from the Human Rights Watch, who says the move has “raised fears of a return to past abusive practices in the country”. Most of Sri Lanka’s foreign allies including India, the European Union and the United States, have urged Sirisena to abide by the constitution.
India and Western countries have concerns about Rajapaksa’s ties to China after he ushered in billions of dollars of investment from Beijing to rebuild the country following the end of a 26-year war against Tamil separatists in 2009. That investment has since put the tiny nation deep in debt and forced it to hand over control of a strategic port to China. “As a democracy and a close friendly neighbour, we hope that democratic values and the constitutional process will be respected,” said Raveesh Kumar, spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs. “We will continue to extend our developmental assistance to the friendly people of Sri Lanka.” Previously, President Sirisena alleged that the assignation plot was linked to Indian Intelligence Agency, RAW, which he later withdrew.
A Chinese embassy official in Colombo said Beijing maintained good relations with all Sri Lankan parties, including the UNP. The official said “China never interferes in other countries’ internal affairs,” “We’re against all this interference from any foreign country “. Cheng Xueyuan, China’s envoy to Sri Lanka, met Rajapaksa with a congratulatory message on Saturday. The embassy official said the ambassador had also met Wickremesinghe and speaker Jayasuriya.
Tensions have been building between Sirisena and Wickremesinghe for some time, as the president did not approve of some of the economic reforms being introduced by the prime minister. Sirisena was also critical of investigations into military personnel accused of human rights violations during Sri Lanka’s long civil war, which ended in 2009. The pair were reported to have clashed in the cabinet over government plans to lease a container terminal to neighbouring India.
Assessment
Our assessment is that the standoff has important geopolitical implications in a country long influenced by India and which become massively indebted to China to finance huge infrastructure projects during Rajapaksa’s decade as president. The present situation is a challenge to India’s interests. Wickremesinghe’s removal and Rajapaksa’s appointment shows that the current elements favour a closer cooperation with China.
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