In the lead-up to Sri Lanka’s parliamentary elections on 14 November, corruption has emerged as a dominant and decisive issue. On my visit to the country last month, the economic crisis was clearly visible . Shortages of essential goods, increasing food prices, and prolonged power cuts have severely impacted everyday life.
Many citizens blamed the current economic turmoil on decades of mismanagement and corruption by successive governments. The country's debt has ballooned under administrations that have prioritised grand infrastructure projects, often awarded to companies with ties to powerful officials. The Rajapaksa family , in particular, has come under scrutiny for allegedly using their influence to channel resources into projects that benefitted only a few, while leaving the majority of Sri Lankans to bear the financial burden.
Rajapaksa sold prime land in Colombo to the Chinese and others for a pittance. Army land on Galle Face was leased to the Shangri-La Hotel. The ITC hotel was leased on prime sea-facing naval land at a throwaway price.
As was the Cinnamon Hotel. We already know about the 99-year lease of the Hambantota port to China. Rajapaksa was seen as pro-Chinese.
Geopolitics took over. My informant regaled me with a conspiracy theory so outrageous that it nearly tipped me out of my chair. “The economic crisis was all orchestrated,” he insisted.
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