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Sri Lanka voters hand Rajapaksa strength to face India and China

Published

6 years ago

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Washington tweets its
concern of the strategic island’s indebtedness to Beijing

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brother have a difficult economic path ahead of them but can count on financial favors as China, India, the U.S. and Japan vie for influence.

MARWAAN MACAN-MARKAR,

Asia regional correspondent , Nikkei Asian Review

BANGKOK — Sri Lankan voters have already detected a whiff of what the electoral landslide won by the country’s most influential political clan earlier this week means to the international community, or at least what it means to India, the U.S. and Japan.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi set the tone by going on a charm blitz. He called and tweeted at his counterpart, caretaker Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, part of that political clan, even before the final results were in, giving the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, a Rajapaksa political vehicle, 146 seats in the 225-member legislature.

“We will work together to further advance all areas of bilateral cooperation and to take our special ties to ever new heights,” Modi tweeted on Thursday, one day after the general elections.

Hours later, the U.S. embassy in Colombo, the island’s commercial capital, reached out, also on Twitter. “As the new parliament convenes,” the tweet says, “we hope the government will renew its commitments to building an inclusive economic recovery, upholding human rights and the rule of law, and protecting the country’s sovereignty.”

That “sovereignty” nudge was a reminder of the massive amount of loans Sri Lanka has taken from China for infrastructure projects, one of which two years ago prompted The New York Times to write this headline: “How China Got Sri Lanka To Cough Up A Port.” That was a dig at the $1.5 billion southern port in Hambantota, built with Chinese loans, that the debt-strapped Sri Lankan government gave to the Chinese on a 99-year lease as part of a $1.1 billion debt swap.

The Sri Lankan public was not privy, however, to the mood inside the Chinese embassy on Friday, following the pro-China Rajapaksas’ triumph. They are “so happy,” was the sentiment making the rounds within some Colombo-based diplomatic circles.

Foreign policy insiders in the country regard these rhetorical cues as a hint of the “diplomatic balancing act” that looms for the new government in Sri Lanka, increasingly wooed by China, India, the U.S. and Japan, all covetous of the island’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean.

Yet, the foreign policy insiders are sanguine. The decisive electoral mandate won by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, or SLPP, will afford the Rajapaksas enough political stability to chart a firmer diplomatic course.

“One thing out of the way with the general elections is we will not have partisan quarrels over foreign policy,” said a veteran Sri Lankan diplomat, referring to the previous coalition government, one marked by disunity when it came to foreign relations with China, India and the U.S. “The people’s mandate gives the government a stable domestic platform to deal with foreign powers.”

The elections cemented the Rajapaksas’ political comeback after a five-year lapse. In November, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Mahinda’s younger brother, won a sweeping mandate in the presidential election. The brothers had risen to dominate the country for a decade during Mahinda’s two terms as president, which came to an end in January 2015.

It was during Mahinda’s presidency that Sri Lanka tilted

toward China, ending decades of influence that India had enjoyed. Beijing poured in military assets that enabled the Rajapaksas to end Sri Lanka’s 30-year civil war and followed it up with billions of dollars worth of infrastructure loans to help revive the war-shattered economy.

The general elections also serve as a reminder: Foreign-funded infrastructure projects and foreign assistance have become political fodder and will pose an early foreign policy challenge for the Rajapaksa brothers’ new administration.

On the eve of the elections, a Colombo port trade union with ties to the Rajapaksa camp launched a protest to stop the development of a container terminal that India, Japan and Sri Lanka agreed to build last year.

Likewise, speakers on SLPP platforms during the campaign opposed Sri Lanka signing a deal for a $480 million grant from the U.S. government under its so-called Millennium Challenge Corporation, which is aimed at improving logistics and transportation on the island. Anti-U.S. sentiment was also stoked by Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy, which mentions Sri Lanka and a need to counter China’s presence in the nation.

According to Palitha Kohona, a former Sri Lankan foreign secretary, it will be difficult to ignore the national mood laid bare during the elections. “There is pressure on the government not to hand over the terminal to Japan and India … and the political mood is entirely against the MCC,” Kohona said. “It is also a reaction that you cannot conduct foreign policy by giving out bits and pieces of our real estate.”

Seasoned geopolitical observers reckon that New Delhi, Tokyo and Washington recognize the edge China will enjoy under a Rajapaksa administration. “India, Japan and the U.S. have long been concerned that Sri Lanka may go down Pakistan’s path: become another country in South Asia that is heavily indebted to China,” said Aparna Pande, director for the Initiative on the Future of India and South Asia at the Hudson Institute, a Washington-based think-tank.

“[But] what Delhi-Tokyo-Washington will need to understand is that Colombo has access to a constant tap of dollars from Beijing,” Pande added, “and that they will need to be willing to disburse more money if they want to play the game.”

Well-placed sources within Sri Lanka’s financial sector point to the country’s need for a financial lifeline as the $88 billion economy teeters on the brink of a worsening crisis. The island’s international reserves have shrunk to $6.5 billion, and growth is forecast to contract by 1.3% this year, a further drop from the 2.5% in 2019, the worst in 18 years.

Gotabaya has already made desperate appeals to India and China for relief from mounting external debt payments that will average over $4 billion a year until 2024. China has already stepped forward with a $500 million loan. India has pledged $450 million.

“We need every dollar we can lay our hands on,” said the head of a Colombo-based financial sector company. “The Rajapaksas cannot antagonize our allies — they need foreign friends, not foreign enemies, to tap funds.”

Japan, which holds 10% of Sri Lanka’s debt, a share matched by China, will matter in this equation. It appears not to have been lost in Tokyo’s tweet to congratulate the new Rajapaksa administration.

“Japan, as a long-standing friend of Sri Lanka, will continue to support Sri Lanka’s effort towards further development as a hub of the Indian Ocean region,” it said.

 


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Comprehensive reforms to be introduced in the higher education sector in line with primary and secondary education reforms – PM

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4 hours ago

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2026/05/7

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Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated in Parliament on Wednesday [06th of May]  that the Government has planned to introduce relevant changes in the higher education sector aligning with the new reforms being implemented in the primary and secondary education sectors.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while responding to questions raised by Member of Parliament Manjula Sugath Rathnayaka.

The Prime Minister further stated:

“A special expert committee appointed for this purpose has been in operation over the past six months, and based on the report of this panel, existing issues in the higher education sector will be identified and the necessary reforms will be implemented.

A total number of 281,810 students sat for the 2025 G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination, of whom 176,538 qualified for university admission. Following the subject streams, the number of students who qualified  is as follows: 32,935 in Biological Sciences, 23,012 in Physical Sciences, 39,608 in Commerce, 58,269 in Arts, 4,199 in the General Stream, 12,472 in Engineering Technology, and 6,043 in Bio-Systems Technology from which  42,937 students are expected to be admitted to universities.

While ensuring the quality of education, the Government gives priority to improving facilities for university students. It has also been decided to maintain the intake for first-degree admissions at the same level as in previous years.

A new course in Geographic Information Systems has been introduced at the University of Ruhuna, and a course in Electronic and Intelligent Systems Engineering has been introduced at the University of Peradeniya from the academic year 2025/2026. Fifty students will be enrolled for each of these new programmes. Steps have already been completed to release the cut-off marks and forward the registration lists to the respective universities”.

Responding to a question raised by the Member of Parliament K. Kader Mastan regarding preschool education, the Prime Minister stated:

“As most preschools in the country are managed by the private sector, the Ministry currently has no provision to offer permanent appointments or salaries to their staff. However, steps are already being taken to provide a certain allowance to volunteer teachers in selected preschools under Provincial Councils.

By 2027, the entire preschool education system is expected to undergo comprehensive reform, with necessary measures being jointly undertaken by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs.

In addition, based on the recommendations of the National Education Commission, a national policy to regulate preschool education is scheduled to be established in 2026. Under this policy, teacher guidelines and model activity manuals are being prepared, along with plans to conduct teacher training programmes at the provincial level”.

Commenting on volunteer teachers, the Prime Minister emphasized that, in accordance with the Cabinet decision dated 04.01.2007, the policy of not recruiting any volunteer teachers beyond the approved 4,700 teacher aides will continue to be implemented.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

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Joint programme between President’s Fund and Janashakthi Foundation to expand healthcare facilities for children

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16 hours ago

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2026/05/7

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(Pic PMD)

A special collaboration between the Presidents’s Fund and the Janashakthi Foundation, aimed at expanding healthcare facilities available to children under the age of 18, was launched on Wednesday (06) morning.

Implemented under the theme “Building a Healthier Today for a Winning Tomorrow”, this national initiative has been introduced through the joint efforts of the President’s Fund and the Janashakthi Foundation with the objective of reducing the financial barriers associated with children’s healthcare.

Under the President’s Fund, only a portion of the medical expenses incurred by a patient is generally covered. However, under this new collaboration, the Janashakthi Foundation will provide either an equivalent amount or the remaining balance of the treatment cost, whichever is lower.

Speaking on the occasion, Secretary to the President’s Fund and Senior Additional Secretary to the President,  Roshan Gamage, stated that the present Government had taken steps to decentralise and digitalise the operations of the President’s Fund, thereby transforming it into a truly people-centric fund. He noted that this had reinforced public confidence in the Fund’s transparency, accountability and effectiveness and added that the collaboration with the Janashakthi Foundation had further strengthened this process.

Gamage further stated that close and meaningful coordination with the private sector would help enhance healthcare assistance provided to children and minimise the gap between the financial aid available and the actual cost of essential medical treatment.

Also addressing the gathering, Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of the Janashakthi Group, Ramesh Schaffter, stated that difficulties in accessing medical treatment constitute a major obstacle preventing children from progressing towards a better future.

He further stated that the collaboration seeks to reduce that obstacle by extending support to children who are in urgent need of assistance, thereby laying the foundation for future generations to face tomorrow with greater confidence.

Under this programme, applicants seeking additional financial assistance are required, when applying to the President’s Fund, to duly complete and submit a consent form authorising the secure sharing of their information with the Janashakthi Foundation.

The identification of children requiring financial assistance, verification of their information and approval of funds will continue to be carried out by the President’s Fund.

Under this initiative, payments will generally be made to the guardians of children following the completion of treatment. However, in cases involving emergency treatment and treatment conducted overseas, payments will be made in advance.

Applicants submitting medical assistance applications to the President’s Fund from 15 May 2026 onwards will be eligible to apply for additional funding from the Janashakthi Foundation.

The event, held at the Hilton Colombo, was attended by J.M. Wijebandara, Director General of Legal Affairs at the Presidential Secretariat and Advisor to the President (Legal Affairs); C.T.A. Schaffter, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Janashakthi Group; Gamika De Silva, Group Chief Marketing Officer; Dilshan Wirasekara, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Janashakthi Group; as well as officials of the President’s Fund and the Janashakthi Foundation.

President’s Media Division (PMD)

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Maldivian President concludes state visit to Sri Lanka

Published

17 hours ago

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2026/05/7

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The President of the Republic of Maldives, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, departed Sri Lanka on Wednesday morning (06) from the Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake, concluding a successful state visit to the country.

The visit by the Maldivian President and his delegation further strengthened the longstanding friendship and cooperation between the Maldives and Sri Lanka, while delivering a range of mutual benefits to the peoples of both nations.

This marked President Muizzu’s first state visit to Sri Lanka, during which several mutually beneficial areas of cooperation were agreed upon, underscoring the success of the visit.

Minister of Science and Technology, Krishantha Abeysena, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports , Sunil Kumara Gamage, Member of Parliament Oshani Umanga, along with senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were present at the airport to bid farewell to the Maldivian President, the First Lady and the accompanying delegation.

(President’s Media Division)

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