Sri Lanka: Intra-regime change has taken place; Gota drives the policy

Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka Interviewed by Chamitha Kuruppu
“The ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ is in danger; it is increasingly overshadowed by the ‘Gota Chinthana,’” stresses Sri Lankan Diplomat and Political Scientist Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka.He warns that President Rajapaksa has devolved far too much of his power to those close to him. “I am not sure really whose hand is consistently on the tiller. I am not sure who is really driving policy.”Dr. Jayatilleka points out that the country is experiencing an intra-regime change.“The centre of gravity is shifting from the pragmatic populism of Mahinda Rajapaksa to a harder, harsher neo-conservatism, which is more visibly represented by Gotabaya Rajapaksa.”

Importance of international solidarity in the national struggle for democracy and options for demecratic leadership

Laksiri Fernando
It has come from the horse’s mouth. Sri Lanka needs a "strategy for democratic resistance." However, there can be several or multiple strategies for change and not one, at least at the beginning. Many have already aired their views and Dr Dayan Jayatilleka’s recent article is one among the others or a rejoinder to others. What would finally work is a matter for history to decide. Of course, history is not the fate of providence, but a product of human efforts and forces. What needs to be avoided as much as possible is the clash of forces going in the same direction of reinstating democracy in the country while a healthy debate on theoretical and practical issues might be useful. Fierce debates are rather old fashioned and may be counterproductive.