opinionAfter more than a week of political wrangling, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe decided to continue the national unity government, in which Sirisena’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP) are partners. The newly-formed Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), led by former President Mahinda Rajapakse, won control of the majority of local councils. Sirisena immediately blamed Wickremesinghe for the election defeat and demanded he resign as prime minister if the government were to continue. However, the main concern of the Sri Lankan ruling class is the country’s deepening economic crisis and growing protests and strikes by workers, the rural poor and students. Following the local election, Rajapakse declared: “There is instability in the country.

Source: Sunday Times February 27, 2018 11:37 UTC