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Sri Lanka's crisis of leadership opens space for nationalist Rajapaksas
Source: Reuters
WORLD NEWS APRIL 25, 2019 / 7:45 AM / UPDATED 15 HOURS AGO
Sri Lanka's crisis of leadership opens space for nationalist Rajapaksas
Sanjeev Miglani, Shihar Aneez
6 MIN READ
COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brother, then the defense secretary, crushed Tamil Tiger separatists with such ferocity ten years ago that Western powers sought war crime trials against them and greeted their defeat in elections later with barely concealed glee.
But now the tiny Indian Ocean island is faced with South Asia’s deadliest militant attack - claimed by Islamic State - and may well again turn to the Rajapaksas for a strong-willed response to the new threat, politicians and diplomats say.
Elections to pick a new president are due between October and December and Mahinda Rajapaksa is already targeting President Maithripala Sirisena and his Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for failing to preserve the hard fought peace.
Rajapaksa cannot contest for president again, but his brother Gotabaya is ready to make a bid, his aide has said.
“Rajapaksas’ will take the easy benefit and be able to claim with some credibility that if they come back to power, they will adopt the same strong security policy that allowed them to free the country from terrorism,” said a Western diplomat.
-snip-
Sri Lanka's crisis of leadership opens space for nationalist Rajapaksas
Sanjeev Miglani, Shihar Aneez
6 MIN READ
COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brother, then the defense secretary, crushed Tamil Tiger separatists with such ferocity ten years ago that Western powers sought war crime trials against them and greeted their defeat in elections later with barely concealed glee.
But now the tiny Indian Ocean island is faced with South Asia’s deadliest militant attack - claimed by Islamic State - and may well again turn to the Rajapaksas for a strong-willed response to the new threat, politicians and diplomats say.
Elections to pick a new president are due between October and December and Mahinda Rajapaksa is already targeting President Maithripala Sirisena and his Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for failing to preserve the hard fought peace.
Rajapaksa cannot contest for president again, but his brother Gotabaya is ready to make a bid, his aide has said.
“Rajapaksas’ will take the easy benefit and be able to claim with some credibility that if they come back to power, they will adopt the same strong security policy that allowed them to free the country from terrorism,” said a Western diplomat.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sri-lanka-blasts-politics-analysis/sri-lankas-crisis-of-leadership-opens-space-for-nationalist-rajapaksas-idUSKCN1S11FI
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