Sri Lanka: chasing system change
This article explores the political shift in Sri Lanka following the 2022 mass uprising against the Rajapaksa administration. It highlights how the public's desire for systemic change led to the rise of Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the NPP coalition.
Why it matters
It provides context on the evolution of Sri Lankan politics from a legacy-dominated system to a new era of voter-driven reform following a severe economic crisis.
The mass uprising in Sri Lanka in the summer of 2022 had one unifying chant — “Gota go home”, reflecting the protesting citizens’ chief demand that then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resign.
It was one of many diverse chants, their tone ranging from witty irreverence to daring dissent, that captured the spirit of the Janata Aragalaya, or people’s struggle. The protesters were emphatic in their rejection of Mr. Gotabaya, whom they held responsible for the country’s bankruptcy and their endless wait in queues amid acute shortages. They were unafraid to voice their anger with the Rajapaksa clan and their frustration with the entire political class.
But in that watershed moment, they were thirsty for something else, something new — “system change”, their posters screamed.
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