In an exclusive conversation with Padma Rao Sundarji, Times of India on friday, Sri Lanka‘s interim chairman Ranil WickremesingheThe 75-year-old Sri Lankan presidential candidate, who is set to contest today’s election for Sri Lanka’s highest office, expressed confidence that he is the best-suited person to lead Sri Lanka out of its dire crisis. Economic crisis That day in 2022, when rioters and vandals toppled the government and burnt down Wickremesinghe’s private home and the valuable collection of books in his library.
Why: President Wickremesinghe, Colombo echoes with slogans about the three candidates leading in opinion polls ahead of tomorrow’s election presidential electionMarxist-Leninist Anura Kumara Dissanayake (aka “AKD”), represents ‘revolution from below’, you represent “continuity” and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa represents a mix and thus ‘change with continuity’. In an election with a total of 38 names, why are you standing out from your two main contenders?
RW: I represent those who are willing to stay back and fight. Anura and Sajith represent those who are willing to run away from their responsibility. It is not a question of bottom to top, but about who was willing to take responsibility in 2022. I was not the leader of the opposition. I was not the leader of any party. I was a single person. I took charge because others were not ready. I became president when no one else was ready to become president. So, I represent the ability to face challenges and overcome them. What they represent is the willingness to run away.
Why: The Sri Lanka People’s Party (SLPP), the party founded by Rajapaksa, had supported you at the time, but later withdrew its support and fielded its own candidate, 38-year-old Namal Rajapaksa. slpp They have a strong presence in Parliament. If Parliament is dissolved – as usually happens after a presidential election in Sri Lanka – new elections are held, and the SLPP is re-elected with a parliamentary majority, would you work with them again?
RW: The President has to decide whether to dissolve the Parliament or not, and this is a matter of discussion after the results of the presidential election are out. The SLPP is currently divided into three groups: one sided with Sajith, the other went with Namal Rajapaksa and the largest number supports my candidature. I am ready to work with everyone, provided they are ready to follow the policies we have initiated. But a lot will depend on the combination and the numbers after this presidential election. Some of the candidates who contested yesterday have said that they are going to dissolve the Parliament immediately, others have said that they are only going to change the Prime Minister and then dissolve the Parliament. It will not happen in 24 hours, but some decision should be taken in the coming 3-4 days, because the International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission will arrive in Sri Lanka in 2 weeks. By then, there should be a clear decision on whether Sri Lanka will hold parliamentary elections or not. A new Prime Minister will emerge after those elections.
Why: There are rumours that Namal will be the next Prime Minister, and you may even team up with your arch rival Sajith Premadasa, who has split from your United National Party (UNP) to form his own party, which is the largest party in the opposition today…
RW: I told you I am ready to work with anyone, even Sajith, once the new Parliament is elected. Will Sajith work with me?
Why: There are many development projects and investments being made by India in Sri Lanka. Analysts in India say a land bridge is being built between the two countries and it is a ‘done deal’. Are all these projects really what Sri Lanka needs so much? Or are they mainly to satisfy India’s need for a strategic location in Sri Lanka, even though Sri Lankan activists and citizens have raised concerns against some of these?
RW: In the case of the land bridge, yes, there are definitely ecological concerns. But India is doing a feasibility study. Until that is done, there will not be much results from Sri Lanka. Still, Sri Lanka and India have to work together on economic issues. There is a reference to this in the vision statement presented by me and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. One of the areas we have identified is renewable energy. And since India is keen to buy Sri Lanka’s renewable energy, it is natural that some entrepreneurs from India would want to invest in Sri Lanka.
Why: But earlier this week your rival AKD said a $442 million wind power project being built by Adani Green Energy in Mannar and Poonari in northern Sri Lanka was ‘corrupt’ and would be cancelled if he was elected president. Are you also reconsidering the project?
RW: There is a court case going on against that project. So we have to study the audit when it is given. Apart from that, I don’t see any need to change anything. We should restart all ongoing projects as soon as possible, so that jobs can be created.
Why: Sri Lanka is a member of China. belt-and-road-initiative (BRI). In March 2024, Sri Lanka’s foreign debt totalled US$55.4 billion. China is your biggest lender. There have been frequent visits by the Chinese navy under the guise of ‘research vessels’ to Sri Lankan waters; a few years ago, even nuclear submarines were ‘dropped’ in Sri Lanka. Indian analysts say there are only two reasons for China to be in Sri Lanka: to trap your country in debt and, by establishing a military presence in the Indian Ocean, to threaten India’s security. How are you going to address India’s concerns?
RW: As far as what we are doing is concerned, we do not see BRI as a threat to India. But we have always said before that there are security concerns, we must address them, and we must discuss with India and decide how to deal with them.
Why: BRI has been discredited in many other member countries. Do you have any new thoughts on BRI partnership in Sri Lanka? In view of the economic crisis in Sri Lanka, can you pull out of it or cancel it? Or is it not possible now?
RW: We do not see any problem in BRI and it will not create any problem for India either.
Why: Sri Lanka wants to join BRICS. Are there any other global/Indo-Pacific groupings that Sri Lanka is interested in at the moment?
RW: We are in BIMSTEC and we have applied to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Asia is now becoming an economic block. BRICS symbolizes the rise of a non-Western grouping and we should join it. This is a reality of global politics today.
Why: The groups you mentioned include China. Aren’t you thinking of joining other groups that don’t include China?
RW: These are not military but commercial and political organisations. What is the problem, anyway? I mean should we pull out of the UN because China is in it? Why, India is in BRICS with China, in fact they started it, not us!
Why: The Tamils of north and east Sri Lanka are angry with you because you promised them committees, new laws etc. last year but did not fulfill them. A faction led by former Jaffna CM Justice CV Wigneswaran has also fielded an independent Tamil candidate in the presidential election for the first time in the history of Sinhala-dominated Sri Lanka. They say that now nothing less than a referendum among the Tamils of the north and east will decide their future. They no longer even want the 13th Amendment co-written by India 38 years ago.
RW: Vigneshwaran is a good friend of mine. He knows what I am going to do there, but we could not put it into law before this election. His fielding a Tamil candidate is more about his Tamil parties, not me. It is not a problem. In my manifesto, I have already explained how we are going to implement the 13th Amendment, and so far all parties have agreed to it.
Why: There is a very large, influential diaspora of Tamils in influential Western countries. Many of these are your donor countries. Are you not worried that their Tamil citizens will now put pressure on them over Sri Lanka’s debt in exchange for certain demands in the north and east of Sri Lanka?
RW: So far, those issues have not come to the fore. I don’t think the Tamil diaspora has that much influence in most places. In Canada maybe, but not in Europe. I think even Western countries have realized that there is a limit to diaspora politics. Except in Sri Lanka and some small, extremist groups, the vast majority of the Tamil diaspora is interested in what’s happening here and in contributing to it.
Why: The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva has given you some relief by moving a resolution reiterating the alleged genocide by the Sri Lankan armed forces at the end of the civil war in 2009 and on ‘accountability’ for the ‘disappearance’ of thousands of people in Sri Lanka. How are you addressing those concerns?
RW: We have the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act, which will be implemented. It will take care of accountability. We have also put in place other mechanisms. But we have simply said that accountability falls within the purview of Sri Lankan jurisdiction and Sri Lankan judges. If others want to come as observers we have no problem – we are ready for that. But the final decision has to be taken by our judges.
Why: Analysts from Western donor countries say you may be the right person to ensure continuity, as you have implemented reforms in Sri Lanka without risking your own political position. But they fear you will be unable to control corruption, which has contributed significantly to Sri Lanka’s bankruptcy.
RW: Corruption is an issue everywhere. There is no country that is free from corruption. We need a good system. So I have asked the IMF itself to come up with a proposal on how to deal with this. In my 2 years as President, my job was to move the economy forward and reduce the burden on people. I have done that. These other issues will come forward.
Why: Parole has consistently meant “vote for change” during every presidential election in Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2024, and even during times when there was relative stability. Is this a flaw in the Sri Lankan psyche?
RW: “Vote for change” is the new slogan here. It has replaced the old slogan which used to be “Abolish the executive presidency”. They have nothing else to say, so they make up slogans. It has backfired every time. When we resort to slogans to win elections, we are not really able to perform.
This is the crisis that has brought us here. So we have to change it. This is a fault in Sri Lankan politics, not in our mindset.
(Padma Rao Sundarji is a senior foreign correspondent and author of the HarperCollins 2015 book “Sri Lanka: The New Country”)
Why: President Wickremesinghe, Colombo echoes with slogans about the three candidates leading in opinion polls ahead of tomorrow’s election presidential electionMarxist-Leninist Anura Kumara Dissanayake (aka “AKD”), represents ‘revolution from below’, you represent “continuity” and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa represents a mix and thus ‘change with continuity’. In an election with a total of 38 names, why are you standing out from your two main contenders?
RW: I represent those who are willing to stay back and fight. Anura and Sajith represent those who are willing to run away from their responsibility. It is not a question of bottom to top, but about who was willing to take responsibility in 2022. I was not the leader of the opposition. I was not the leader of any party. I was a single person. I took charge because others were not ready. I became president when no one else was ready to become president. So, I represent the ability to face challenges and overcome them. What they represent is the willingness to run away.
Why: The Sri Lanka People’s Party (SLPP), the party founded by Rajapaksa, had supported you at the time, but later withdrew its support and fielded its own candidate, 38-year-old Namal Rajapaksa. slpp They have a strong presence in Parliament. If Parliament is dissolved – as usually happens after a presidential election in Sri Lanka – new elections are held, and the SLPP is re-elected with a parliamentary majority, would you work with them again?
RW: The President has to decide whether to dissolve the Parliament or not, and this is a matter of discussion after the results of the presidential election are out. The SLPP is currently divided into three groups: one sided with Sajith, the other went with Namal Rajapaksa and the largest number supports my candidature. I am ready to work with everyone, provided they are ready to follow the policies we have initiated. But a lot will depend on the combination and the numbers after this presidential election. Some of the candidates who contested yesterday have said that they are going to dissolve the Parliament immediately, others have said that they are only going to change the Prime Minister and then dissolve the Parliament. It will not happen in 24 hours, but some decision should be taken in the coming 3-4 days, because the International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission will arrive in Sri Lanka in 2 weeks. By then, there should be a clear decision on whether Sri Lanka will hold parliamentary elections or not. A new Prime Minister will emerge after those elections.
Why: There are rumours that Namal will be the next Prime Minister, and you may even team up with your arch rival Sajith Premadasa, who has split from your United National Party (UNP) to form his own party, which is the largest party in the opposition today…
RW: I told you I am ready to work with anyone, even Sajith, once the new Parliament is elected. Will Sajith work with me?
Why: There are many development projects and investments being made by India in Sri Lanka. Analysts in India say a land bridge is being built between the two countries and it is a ‘done deal’. Are all these projects really what Sri Lanka needs so much? Or are they mainly to satisfy India’s need for a strategic location in Sri Lanka, even though Sri Lankan activists and citizens have raised concerns against some of these?
RW: In the case of the land bridge, yes, there are definitely ecological concerns. But India is doing a feasibility study. Until that is done, there will not be much results from Sri Lanka. Still, Sri Lanka and India have to work together on economic issues. There is a reference to this in the vision statement presented by me and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. One of the areas we have identified is renewable energy. And since India is keen to buy Sri Lanka’s renewable energy, it is natural that some entrepreneurs from India would want to invest in Sri Lanka.
Why: But earlier this week your rival AKD said a $442 million wind power project being built by Adani Green Energy in Mannar and Poonari in northern Sri Lanka was ‘corrupt’ and would be cancelled if he was elected president. Are you also reconsidering the project?
RW: There is a court case going on against that project. So we have to study the audit when it is given. Apart from that, I don’t see any need to change anything. We should restart all ongoing projects as soon as possible, so that jobs can be created.
Why: Sri Lanka is a member of China. belt-and-road-initiative (BRI). In March 2024, Sri Lanka’s foreign debt totalled US$55.4 billion. China is your biggest lender. There have been frequent visits by the Chinese navy under the guise of ‘research vessels’ to Sri Lankan waters; a few years ago, even nuclear submarines were ‘dropped’ in Sri Lanka. Indian analysts say there are only two reasons for China to be in Sri Lanka: to trap your country in debt and, by establishing a military presence in the Indian Ocean, to threaten India’s security. How are you going to address India’s concerns?
RW: As far as what we are doing is concerned, we do not see BRI as a threat to India. But we have always said before that there are security concerns, we must address them, and we must discuss with India and decide how to deal with them.
Why: BRI has been discredited in many other member countries. Do you have any new thoughts on BRI partnership in Sri Lanka? In view of the economic crisis in Sri Lanka, can you pull out of it or cancel it? Or is it not possible now?
RW: We do not see any problem in BRI and it will not create any problem for India either.
Why: Sri Lanka wants to join BRICS. Are there any other global/Indo-Pacific groupings that Sri Lanka is interested in at the moment?
RW: We are in BIMSTEC and we have applied to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Asia is now becoming an economic block. BRICS symbolizes the rise of a non-Western grouping and we should join it. This is a reality of global politics today.
Why: The groups you mentioned include China. Aren’t you thinking of joining other groups that don’t include China?
RW: These are not military but commercial and political organisations. What is the problem, anyway? I mean should we pull out of the UN because China is in it? Why, India is in BRICS with China, in fact they started it, not us!
Why: The Tamils of north and east Sri Lanka are angry with you because you promised them committees, new laws etc. last year but did not fulfill them. A faction led by former Jaffna CM Justice CV Wigneswaran has also fielded an independent Tamil candidate in the presidential election for the first time in the history of Sinhala-dominated Sri Lanka. They say that now nothing less than a referendum among the Tamils of the north and east will decide their future. They no longer even want the 13th Amendment co-written by India 38 years ago.
RW: Vigneshwaran is a good friend of mine. He knows what I am going to do there, but we could not put it into law before this election. His fielding a Tamil candidate is more about his Tamil parties, not me. It is not a problem. In my manifesto, I have already explained how we are going to implement the 13th Amendment, and so far all parties have agreed to it.
Why: There is a very large, influential diaspora of Tamils in influential Western countries. Many of these are your donor countries. Are you not worried that their Tamil citizens will now put pressure on them over Sri Lanka’s debt in exchange for certain demands in the north and east of Sri Lanka?
RW: So far, those issues have not come to the fore. I don’t think the Tamil diaspora has that much influence in most places. In Canada maybe, but not in Europe. I think even Western countries have realized that there is a limit to diaspora politics. Except in Sri Lanka and some small, extremist groups, the vast majority of the Tamil diaspora is interested in what’s happening here and in contributing to it.
Why: The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva has given you some relief by moving a resolution reiterating the alleged genocide by the Sri Lankan armed forces at the end of the civil war in 2009 and on ‘accountability’ for the ‘disappearance’ of thousands of people in Sri Lanka. How are you addressing those concerns?
RW: We have the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act, which will be implemented. It will take care of accountability. We have also put in place other mechanisms. But we have simply said that accountability falls within the purview of Sri Lankan jurisdiction and Sri Lankan judges. If others want to come as observers we have no problem – we are ready for that. But the final decision has to be taken by our judges.
Why: Analysts from Western donor countries say you may be the right person to ensure continuity, as you have implemented reforms in Sri Lanka without risking your own political position. But they fear you will be unable to control corruption, which has contributed significantly to Sri Lanka’s bankruptcy.
RW: Corruption is an issue everywhere. There is no country that is free from corruption. We need a good system. So I have asked the IMF itself to come up with a proposal on how to deal with this. In my 2 years as President, my job was to move the economy forward and reduce the burden on people. I have done that. These other issues will come forward.
Why: Parole has consistently meant “vote for change” during every presidential election in Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2024, and even during times when there was relative stability. Is this a flaw in the Sri Lankan psyche?
RW: “Vote for change” is the new slogan here. It has replaced the old slogan which used to be “Abolish the executive presidency”. They have nothing else to say, so they make up slogans. It has backfired every time. When we resort to slogans to win elections, we are not really able to perform.
This is the crisis that has brought us here. So we have to change it. This is a fault in Sri Lankan politics, not in our mindset.
(Padma Rao Sundarji is a senior foreign correspondent and author of the HarperCollins 2015 book “Sri Lanka: The New Country”)
