Mahinda Rajapaksa was so confident about a third-time presidency that he called for snap polls in Sri Lanka on January 8, two years ahead of schedule. He had amended the island nation’s Constitution to remove the two-term limit for Presidents so that he could seek re-election. His efforts came dramatically unstuck last week when the united opposition candidate, Maithripala Sirisena, won the presidential polls with a thumping four-percentage-point margin.

Just a few months ago, Rajapaksa looked supremely invincible; the man who ‘won the war’ over Tamil tigers. He enjoyed wide support among Lanka’s Buddhist majority and was credited with economic growth and infrastructure development. But his greatest strength was a fractured opposition. This came under test when Sirisena, a former ally of Rajapaksa, emerged as the united candidate and sought a mandate on a liberal political plank.

Sirisena succeeded in rallying public opinion against Rajapaksa’s divisive populism and alleged corruption. He criticised Rajapaksa’s authoritarian tendencies, promised to transfer more power to Parliament and vowed to serve only one term as the President.

But the real test lies in the coming days. Rajapaksa’s brand of majoritarian politics is still strong in the country. During his tenure, the Buddhist extremists group Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) had unleashed terror against minorities, especially Muslims. Sinhalese extremists would oppose meaningful efforts to bringing the country’s Tamils into the mainstream. And the army is unlikely to approve of efforts to investigate war crimes in which thousands of Tamils were feared killed.

Even so Rajapaksa’s fall sends a powerful message, not only to Sri Lankans but to the outside world. Rightwing leaders with a divisive agenda can be defeated by a united opposition with a clear vision, no matter what statistics have to say about their achievements.

Stanly Johny, Assistant Editor

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