Something has begun

Future tense: The people of Sri Lanka have known ethnic strife for decades, but the new government promises to unite them. Photo: Reuters/ Andrew Harnik

Different strokes: Maithripala Sirisena hails from the countryside, speaks only Sinhala and was rarely visible at the forefront of politics before he became president. Photo: V. Sudershan

The Maithripala Sirisena government in Sri Lanka wins appreciation in its initial months, but it’s not all smooth-sailing just yet

NAMINI WIJEDASA-May 8, 2015

Sri Lanka’s new leader Maithripala Sirisena won an election against all odds. He now seems determined to unite majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils, who have known decades of ethnic tension and war. Many promises, which he was to honour in the first 100 days, were made during the presidential campaign. That deadline passed with most promises falling by the wayside — it isn’t easy being a minority government — but there was delivery on some substantive ones. He has won admiration in the West and even in India for his less intransigent ways. Having been in the president’s office since January, his greatest challenge is to win the backing of his own disunited party.
Something Has Begun by Thavam Ratna