SL emerges as nation of risk takers

Monday, 23 September 2024 03:50 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sri Lanka appears to be transforming as a nation of risk takers when it comes to its leaders.

The Saturday’s election of Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) was the latest testimony of a journey that began in 2015 when the haughty Mahinda Rajapaksa was dispatched home after a 10 year reign despite winning the 30 year old conflict at the experiment of an unholy marriage between archrivals SLFP and UNP via Yahapalanaya.

If that risk was proven unsuccessful, Sri Lanka selected a political novice but proven bureaucrat and Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa with an overwhelming 2/3 majority. The people however were unforgiving for mismanagement and forced Gotabaya to flee in just under three years following an unprecedented non-violent people’s revolt. Thereafter the nation also experimented with a Parliament elected President in Ranil Wickremesinghe for two years and gave him a send-off on Saturday. Electing AKD on Saturday might well be another experiment of “let’s give him a chance” after being disappointed with other political options. Only the future will tell the people’s approval or disapproval of Sri Lanka’s latest choice of its leader.