The Rajapaksas mismanaged the economy and treated the government like a family business. As a result, Sri Lanka's crisis may last until the end of next year
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskEnter Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took over as president on July 21st, a week after Mr Rajapaksa fled the country. The burden of guiding Sri Lanka out of its worst-ever economic crisis now falls on him. Protesters remain in the streets. Anger over power cuts and shortages of food, fuel and medicine is unabated.
All that will make it difficult for Mr Wickremesinghe to unite the country. Yet he seems bent on making the task even harder. His cabinet is nearly the same as his predecessor’s. His hand-picked prime minister is a friend of the Rajapaksa family. He has also displayed an authoritarian streak, calling the protesters “fascists”, imposing a curfew and declaring a state of emergency.
Restoring political stability should be Mr Wickremesinghe’s priority. A lighter touch would help. To his credit, he has let protesters remain in designated areas not far from his new place of work. He could create more goodwill and boost his legitimacy by inviting members of the opposition into the government. Better still, he should set a timeline for new elections to demonstrate his commitment to democracy. Holding a vote immediately would waste precious time and resources.
Mr Wickremesinghe is preparing Sri Lankans for the pain ahead, but he must do more. The economic crisis will probably last until at least the end of next year. Creditors will drive a hard bargain in negotiations over restructuring the country’s debt. Many people would prefer to hear these hard truths from someone else. But those who know Mr Wickremesinghe insist that he is a canny political operator with a mind of his own. Now is the time for him to prove it.
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