Ranil Wickremesinghe must fix a mess which many think is partly his fault
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskFearing prosecution for alleged corruption and crimes committed during Sri Lanka’s civil war, the disgraced ex-president is expected to lay low abroad for the foreseeable future. But Mr Wickremesinghe will remain a familiar face around Colombo, the capital. After taking over from his boss in an acting capacity the week before, he was officially elected president by a clear majority of 134 of the 225 members of Parliament on July 20th.
There is some room for optimism. Mr Rajapaksa, for all his reluctance to relinquish the powers he enjoyed, eventually departed in the face of public pressure rather than call in the army to quash protests and rule by decree. Mr Wickremesinghe imposed a curfew, declared a state of emergency and described the largely peaceful protesters as “fascists”, suggesting a degree of personal anger which he will have to keep in check over the coming months.
The new president is likely to stick to a programme of economic reforms which he had begun to implement as prime minister. The plan proposes increases in income and corporation tax, the privatisation of state-owned enterprises, a public-sector hiring freeze and a stronger social-safety net to cushion the blow of the other policies. It was drawn up by a diverse group of activists and policy wonks. Its direction enjoys broad support even among members of the opposition.
That may not be enough to convince the movement that drove out Mr Rajapaksa and whose aim is a wholesale change in the country’s politics. Given that Mr Wickremesinghe was prime minister, few expect major changes to the cabinet. He has been silent on the prospect of an early parliamentary election, another of the protesters’ demands. They see Mr Wickremesinghe’s ascendancy as a victory for the discreditedthey blame for the country’s travails.
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