ISAS Insights

The results of the local government elections in Sri Lanka have brought former president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, back to the political arena. The results were seen as a setback for the country’s first post-war government of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe whose parties contested the elections independently. The elections were the first since the coalition government was formed in 2015. Public support for the alliance has declined due to its lacklustre performance on its reform agenda in the last three years. This paper explores the reasons for Rajapaksa’s victory and analyse the implications of the government’s defeat in the local polls on the country’s future.