Sri Lanka presidency a close contest after frontrunner pulls out
Al JazeeraDec 28, 2022
The Facts
On Fri., hundreds of Sri Lankan military and security forces carried out a "special operation," storming the main anti-government protest camp outside the presidential offices in Colombo.
Nine people were reportedly arrested as police claimed the protesters had no right to occupy the area.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
Sri Lankans are fed up with a system of corruption and the abuse of power continually carried out by an entrenched political elite. As a servant of US imperialism and the IMF, Wickremesinghe is yet another member of the political classes to have worked against the public's interests. It's not enough to simply replace the country's political leadership in undemocratic elections - all 225 MPs should vacate their posts to allow for a genuine new beginning.
Pro-establishment narrative
It's too short-sighted to hold Sri Lanka's political system solely responsible for the country's economic catastrophe. The situation in Sri Lanka is indicative of global turmoil that is becoming more widespread as a result of the food, fuel, and financial crisis triggered by COVID and now the Ukraine war. Financial institutions like the IMF can and should play a positive role in an international strategy to help resolve the situation across the world.
