Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa's attempts at staging a political comeback fell short as the parliamentary election results showed his defeat at the hands of the country's prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe. The loss has blocked a key step of his bid to return to power, seven months after he lost presidency.
A beaming Wickremesinghe said a majority of the people had endorsed what he called his administration's good governance and consensual politics in Monday's elections. “I offer my grateful thanks to all parties and individuals who worked untiringly during the election period to ensure victory for the people,” he said in a statement. His United National Party won 106 out of 225 seats in the Parliament, while Rajapaksa's United People's Freedom Alliance secured 95.
Rajapaksa had conceded defeat a few hours before the official results were declared, and said he would continue to work as an opposition member of the South Asian island nation's legislature. “We have won eight districts and the UNP has 11,” Rajapaksa said. “This means we have lost. It was a difficult fight.” He had lost to former ally Maithripala Sirisena earlier this year, after which Sirisena decided to dissolve the parliament and hold fresh elections. Rajapaksa again eyed a return with the elections even as an investigation into alleged corruption during his tenure as president as well as murder allegations against his son continued to hover him. Sirisena had sent a sharp letter to him saying he would not allow him to take up the top post even if his party won. A possible return to political office by the former president has been treated with significant consternation by many Sri Lankans, with the head of the country’s central bank saying he would resign if he was elected.
Rajapaksa had blamed India, particularly the Research and Analysis Wing, for his January defeat, in order to deflect attention from his domestic failures that set apart large sections of the Sinhalese and promoted the minorities as adversaries. Even India wasn't ecstatic with him, wary of his proximity with China and his wavering of projects that affected Indian security interests. India has however, encouraged the broad opposition alliance led by Sirisena, Wickremasinghe, mediated by former president Chandrika Kumaratunga.
His defeat saw India-Rajapaksa ties deteriorate further after he made his allegations public. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, played a diplomatic hand, opening channels of communication, and meeting him for a one-on-one during his visit to Sri Lanka. Rajapaksa had been keen to improve ties with India, notwithstanding his 'nationalist' rhetoric in public. But India felt his victory would upset the process of political reform initiated in January. There was also a strong sense that Beijing had thrown its weight behind Rajapaksa.
The results of the election, open up for more substantive steps on reconciliation with the Tamil minority, especially accountability for war crimes, devolution and demilitarisation. It will also re-establishe the primacy of moderate Tamil politics over the more radical offshoots which would have only enhanced polarisation. The result means that Sri Lanka's historic close ties with India will deepen, as it continues to engage with China but from a distance.
