Return of Gotabaya Rajapaksa

Earlier this year millions from all around the world watched as the Sri Lankan economy spiralled into its downfall. Mismanagement at the Government level had neighbouring countries taking notes on how not to govern a country, as the Sri Lankan President failed over 22 million people and proceeded to flee the country when times got tough.

In July, Sri Lanka woke to a devastated nation and a missing President as Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country in the middle of the night. First taking his safe haven in the neighbouring country Maldives, Gotabaya then fled to Singapore and finally settled down in his self-imposed exile in Thailand. Many suspected that Rajapaksa did not stay long in both the Maldives and Singapore as his arrival was faced with extreme criticism from both the countries towards Rajapaksa as well as the respective Governments of each nation. 

It was only after he fled his own nation that Rajapaksa resigned as the President of Sri Lanka, while safely tucked away in Singapore. His cowardly behaviour only enraged the nation further, as the lack of action taken against him as well as other countries allowing him to safely run away from all the crimes he committed against his own nation provoked people to protest against him further, calling for his arrest.

While Rajapaksa has been safely in exile since July 13 2022, the question many are asking is why he has decided to return back to Sri Lanka now.

As of Saturday, September 3, 2022, after over two months of running away from his own country, the ex-president of Sri Lanka, Rajapaksa has finally returned to the country. And to everyone's dismay, he was not arrested on arrival, instead, several ministers and senior politicians arrived at the airport to receive him. To add to the already problematic situation, he was also taken to a new official residence in the capital provided for him by the current President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

While there are several speculations as to why he has returned, the fact may be that no country was willing to give him protection, and he had finally run out of countries to run to and has been forced to return home after running out of options. While his stay in the Maldives and Singapore was short-lived, his stay in Thailand was longer, however, this was only possible as his diplomatic passport allowed him to enter the country without a visa for up to 90 days. His visit and stay in Thailand were not as discussed by the media as his short-lived time in the Maldives as Rajapaksa was forced to lay low as if he was hiding from his shame.

What happens now?

While Sri Lanka has been moving towards recovering from the economic turmoil that the country has landed in, many fear that any progress they have made might be backtracked due to Rajapaksa's arrival in the country.

After struggling for weeks to reach an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in order to help the country recover from its economic state, as of 01 September 2022, the country finally reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF for a USD 2.9 million loan.

With the country desperately seeking help from international organizations to help the country, many worry that Rajapaksa’s returning and sitting safely in a residency in the capital would make organizations hesitant to help the nation that has welcomed back the same problem that landed them in the crisis they are currently in. 

While the people of the nation are partially glad that Rajapaksa has retired to the country in hopes that soon he will face time for the crimes he has committed, the Government is yet to take any actions against him.