COLOMBO: Former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa broke his silence over his ouster by releasing a self-published book titled “The Conspiracy,” in which he attributes his downfall to “geopolitical rivalry” involving China and other countries.
Rajapaksa, who faced protests and economic turmoil during his tenure, defends his government’s economic policies while pointing to Chinese-funded infrastructure projects as triggers for geopolitical tensions.
In his book, Rajapaksa suggests that foreign interference played a role in his ouster, although he does not specify any countries. The United States had previously cautioned Sri Lanka about falling into a Chinese debt trap due to infrastructure deals. Rajapaksa highlights the protests against his government as having “foreign funding,” though he provides no evidence to support this claim.
Critics have pointed to China’s involvement in funding development projects in Sri Lanka, including infrastructure criticized as white elephants. China’s significant role as a lender to Sri Lanka, owning a substantial portion of the country’s foreign debt, adds complexity to the geopolitical dynamics at play.
Once revered for his role in ending Sri Lanka’s civil war, Rajapaksa’s popularity waned as the economy faltered under his leadership. The sudden downturn, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, led to widespread shortages and economic instability. Analysts attribute Rajapaksa’s downfall to his government’s mismanagement of the economy, particularly ill-advised tax cuts that left the country vulnerable.
Rajapaksa’s successor, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has since taken steps to stabilize the economy, including brokering an International Monetary Fund rescue package and implementing tax reforms. Despite Rajapaksa’s claims of foreign interference, his tenure’s economic challenges and subsequent ouster underscore the complex interplay of domestic policies and global geopolitical dynamics in Sri Lanka’s political landscape.
