Sri Lankan President Flees as Protesters Storm Palace-- Naturally, Cricket Matches Continue

Sri Lanka has been circling the proverbial drain for months.  When it was announced in May that Ranil Wickremesinghe would become prime minister for a sixth time, it was met with dismay and disbelief in Sri Lanka.  Wickremesinghe is seen as being close to the Rajapaksa family, and many thought he was chosen because he will be likely to guarantee their security.  Now he has made another premature exit, soon after protesters entered his official residence.

But things got even worse. Angry and frustrated over a months-long shortage of fuel, medicines and even food-- thousands of protesters then began marching to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official residence.  Police used tear gas against the crowd to try to disperse them when they got close to the president's residence - but they were unable to stop many of them from entering.

Soon footage emerged on social media of protesters inside the house - filling up corridors, taking a dip in the pool, checking out the bedrooms while taking selfies or live streaming what they were seeing.  Scenes of protesters filling the grand official residence have gone viral. 

 

 

The Rajapaksa brothers, Mahinda and Gotabaya, were hailed by many as heroes for winning the civil war but are now reviled as villains.  It's a dramatic fall from grace for a family that has dominated Sri Lankan politics for more than a decade.  It was Mahinda Sr., the family patriarch, who was instrumental in establishing the Rajapaksa empire.

But the younger Mahinda Rajapaksa was once celebrated by the majority Sinhalese as a hero for bringing an end to nearly three decades of civil war when the Tamil Tiger rebels were crushed in 2009 during his first term as president.  As president, Mahinda made his brother Gotabaya the defense secretary.  It was a big career jump for the younger brother who was living a quiet life in the U.S. after retiring from the Sri Lankan military. Gotabaya rose to prominence, earning a reputation for ruthlessness.  Mahinda lost the presidency in 2015, but Gotabaya won the office in 2019 and appointed his brother as Prime Minister.

Earlier this year, a political crisis started due to the power struggle between Gotabaya and the Parliament.  The crisis was fueled by anti-government protests and the continue worsening of the economy that began in 2019.  The anti-government sentiment across various parts of Sri Lanka has triggered an unprecedented political instability creating shock waves in the political arena.

It's unlikely Rajapaksa was in the building at the time as he was reported to have been staying elsewhere in recent months.  But security officials said he had been taken to a safe location. Where that is remains a secret.  Of course, even as political unrest unfolds in the capital, international cricket matches continue just 75 miles away in Galle.  Sri Lankan cricket officials say there are no plans to change schedules, stating that the sport is unaffected by the political turmoil.  "The Australian Test is coming to an end and we are due to start the Pakistan series," a cricket board official said.  "There is no opposition to having the games. In fact, fans are supportive and we have no reason to reschedule."