Will Sri Lanka Elect the Devil It Knows?

The Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa; December 11, 2014.
BY SAMANTH SUBRAMANIAN-JANUARY 6, 2015


If a Presidential candidate refers to himself as a devil, chances are he’s in trouble. Last week, campaigning ahead of this Thursday’s election, Mahinda Rajapaksa, the incumbent Sri Lankan President, tried hard to endear himself to an audience in the northern city of Jaffna. The crowd consisted almost entirely of Tamils, the island’s largest minority, a community that regards him with suspicion and anger. “There is a saying that the devil you know is better than the unknown angel,” Rajapaksa said. “I am the known devil, so please vote for me.” These two sentences encapsulated the swift and intriguing fall of the once-mighty President.

Will Sri Lanka Elect the Devil It Knows by Thavam Ratna