Election in Sri Lanka

Rajapaksa and Indian Interest

Introduction

Sri Lanka - officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

And known from the beginning of British colonial rule until 1972 as Ceylon
is an island country in South Asia near south-east India.

A diverse and multicultural country, and a home to many religions, ethnic

groups, and languages

Sri Lanka has a rich Buddhist heritage

Sri Lanka is a republic and a unitary state governed by a presidential system.

Sri Lanka has had a long history of international engagement, as a founding

member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC),
and a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the G77,
and the Non-Aligned Movement.

It is the only country in South Asia that is currently rated "high" on

the Human Development Index.

Sri Lankan government- Structure

Sri Lanka is a democratic republic and a unitary state which is governed by

a semi-presidential system.

In common with many democracies, the Sri Lankan government has three
branches:

Executive:

The President of Sri Lanka is the head of state, the commander in chief of
the armed forces; head

of government, and is popularly elected for a

five-year term.The President heads the cabinet and

appoints ministers from elected members of parliament

The current President isMaithripala Sirisena.

Cont.

Legislative:

The Parliament of Sri Lanka is a unicameral 225-member legislature with

196 members elected in multi-seat constituencies and 29 elected
by proportional representation.

Members are elected by universal suffrage based on proportional

representation system for a five-year term

The president's deputy, the Prime Minister, leads the ruling party in
parliament and shares many executive responsibilities, mainly in domestic
affairs.

Judicial:

Sri Lanka's judiciary consists of a Supreme Court the highest and final
superior court of record, a Court of Appeal, High Courts and a number of
subordinate courts.

India - Sri Lanka Relations- Overview

Bilateral relations between the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri

Lanka and the Republic of India

Controversially affected by the Sri Lankan Civil War and by the failure
of Indian intervention during the war and the fishing disputes.

Private entities and elements in the Research and Analysis Wing and the
state government of Tamil Nadu were believed to be encouraging the
funding and training for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam,
a separatist insurgent force

Sri Lankan Navy personnel firing on Indian fishermen fishing in the Palk
Strait, where India and Sri Lanka are only separated by 12 nautical miles.
The issue is because of Indian fishermen using mechanized trawlers which
deprives the Sri Lankan fishermen including Tamils of their catch and also
damaging their fishing boats

Cont.

India is active in a number of areas of development activity in Sri Lanka.

About one-sixth of the total development credit granted by GOI is made available to Sri
Lanka.

A number of development projects are implemented under Aid to Sri Lanka funds.

Indian governments have also showed interest in collaborating with their Sri Lankan
counterparts on building tourism between the two countries based on shared religious
heritage

Other areas of cooperation are, India and Sri Lanka signed an agreement allowing for the
transfer of criminals serving prison sentences in the other country to be repatriated to serve
the balance of their sentences in their home country

Mahindha Rajapaksa

Sri Lankan politician who served as the 6th President of Sri

Lanka from 19 November 2005 to 9 January 2015.

A lawyer by profession, Rajapaksa was first elected to

the Parliament of Sri Lanka in 1970,

He served as Prime Minister from 6 April 2004 until his victory

in the 2005 presidential election.

He was sworn in for his first six-year term as President on 19

November 2005.

He was re-elected for a second term on 27 January 2010.

He was defeated in his bid for a third term in the 2015

presidential election by Maithripala Sirisena and left office on 9
January 2015.

Charges against Rajapaksa

WikiLeaks from 2009 to 2010 released information stating

Mahinda Rajapaksha as responsible for massacre of Tamil
civilians

Many had accused him of becoming authoritarianism, nepotism,

poor governance, and corruption.

Lost the support of most of the minorities due to his alliance with
the Buddhist extremist Bodu Bala Sena

Stock market price-fixing and the abuse of state funds for

political purposes by his family and his close association.

2015 SRI LANKAN PARLIMENTARY

ELECTIONS

President Mahinda Rajapakshsa was United Peoples Freedom

Alliances candidate seeking third term in the office.

United National Party led oppositions candidate was Ranil

Wickremesinghs.

UNP won a total of 106 seats in a 225 member assembly short of an

absolute majority by 7 seats.

UPFA came second with 95 seats .

Result

Sri Lanka and China

In recent years Sri Lanka has moved closer to China, especially in terms of naval
agreements.

China has been a steady source of military equipment to Sri Lanka, and is helping to
modernize and expand the Sri Lanka Armed Forces, and also trains Sri Lankan military
personnel

Rajapaksa allowed Chinese naval submarine to dock, not once but twice in Colombo,
rattled New Delhi

The 1.5 billion dollar Colombo Port City, which the Chinese were building from
reclaimed land had led to howl of protest from concerned citizens, but the Rajapaksa did
not budge.

It was only after Sirsena took over that many Chinese projects were kept on hold for
review for flouting environmental and building laws

Rajapaksa as Sri Lankan PM is bad for India?

UN report on human rights abuse by the Sinhala army in the last

phase of the military campaign against the LTTE will be tabled at
the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva by September-end,
when the new Parliament will meet and a new prime minister take
charge

China was a big factor in the deteriorating ties between India and
Sri Lanka.

Chinas foray into the Indian Ocean is a major challenge to India

The government of India felt Lanka was using Beijing to needle

and humiliate India

Cont.

Rajapaksa also told that Lankas new government is being unfair

to China by unnecessarily dragging it into domestic politics

Also, besides promising "13 Amendment +" for the Tamils,

Rajapaksa refused to concede even an inch to the minorities.

Issues could come up once again if Rajapaksa were to become

prime minister.

New plans

Sirisena is attempting a delicate balance of tacking back towards

India without losing Chinas friendship.

The new government said it is reviewing investments from all

countries made in Sri Lanka during Rajapaksa regime to
investigate allegations of corruption.

It also said Chinas USD five billion loans was provided with
high interests and wants to renegotiate them with Beijing.