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From President to MP; not a positive trend

05 Sep 2022

Deposed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s return to the country is undoubtedly the biggest topic in Sri Lanka’s politics at present. Although his return was celebrated by some, it was frowned on by many. Despite the fact that he was one of the most disliked persons in the country just around two months ago, his return to the country could perhaps mark the beginning of his return to politics as well. Given the current political climate – where certain Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MPs have expressed willingness to welcome Gotabaya Rajapaksa as a politician, with one MP even offering to give up her Parliamentary seat in the event Gotabaya Rajapaksa decides to enter Parliament as a National List MP – a comeback cannot be ruled out. At the same time, in a context where Sri Lankan politicians, including those of the Rajapaksa family, show great reluctance when it comes to retiring, the likelihood of Gotabaya Rajapaksa choosing to be in politics is not unlikely. In a democratic country, in a context where there is no legal barrier that prevents him from becoming an MP, if he decides to do so, whether as an elected MP or as a National List MP, there is nothing that can stop him. The biggest question therefore is not whether or not Gotabaya Rajapaksa should re-enter politics, but it is regarding what he is trying to achieve as an MP that he could not as an Executive President.  Gotabaya Rajapaksa was not just an Executive President; he was one of the most powerful Executive Presidents Sri Lanka has seen. He received 6.9 million votes; he had the support of his brothers, including Mahinda Rajapaksa, who happens to be one of the most influential politicians in Sri Lanka’s history; there was a strong socio-political background that emphasised the need for national security due to the Easter Sunday attacks, which favoured him when he contested the election; and most importantly, his administration enacted the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, which made him even more powerful as the Executive President. Some might even argue that he was even more powerful than former President J.R. Jayawardene, who enacted the laws that empowered the Executive Presidency and whom many regard as Sri Lanka’s most powerful Executive President. However, despite having all that power and support, Gotabaya Rajapaksa failed to protect his position and reputation. In the face of public opposition against his and his Government’s perceived incompetence, he was forced to resign and even leave the country in an extremely questionable manner. Needless to say, his Government, which claimed to appoint ministers and appoint experts to important positions in a scientific manner, also failed to perform as expected, after making several inglorious mistakes that affected the country at the national level. It is in this context, we have to ask the question as to what Gotabaya Rajapaksa can bring to the table that he could not for two years as the most powerful public representative of the country. The obvious truth is, if he is choosing the same path as his brother and predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa and former President Maithripala Sirisena – both of whom have not done anything significant for the country as MPs after refusing to retire as Executive Presidents – that is most likely due to personal interest, not national interest. That is, however, a question that is yet to be answered.  Gotabaya Rajapaksa has a democratic right to enter Parliament. However, if he chooses to embrace the tradition his two immediate predecessors introduced – which go against the noble tradition and unwritten law of former Executive Presidents not seeking to enter Parliament as mere Parliamentarians – that would further reinforce and normalise the said new, ignoble tradition driven mainly by greed and personal interests, and will set a disagreeable precedent. That is certainly not a trend that should be encouraged in a democracy. What is more, this greed among senior politicians is one of the main factors that has hindered open-minded and young politicians from reaching the helm and changing Sri Lanka’s political culture for the better.


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