TY - JOUR
T1 - Victory in War and Defeat in Peace
T2 - Politics and Economics of Post-Conflict Sri Lanka
AU - Athukorala, Prema Chandra
AU - Jayasuriya, Sisira
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 by the Earth Institute.
PY - 2015/10/3
Y1 - 2015/10/3
N2 - This paper examines causes and implications of Sri Lanka's political regime shift in February 2015, which has been widely hailed a victory for democracy, against the backdrop of the country's political and economic development in the post-independence era. The regime shift vividly demonstrates that voters, given the chance, turn against leaders they perceive to be corrupt, nepotistic, or needlessly divisive, even if they deliver handsome growth figures; there are limits to gaining political legitimacy in a multi-ethnic state simply by creating cleavages between majority and minority communities. For the first time, the minority communities in Sri Lanka appear to have felt themselves part of, and potentially an important influence on, the national political scene. It is, however, difficult at this stage to predict whether the regime change would usher in an era of ethnic harmony and robust economic growth. One hope is that war-weariness and discontent with the previous regime seem to have led to a greater willingness to accommodate diverse perspectives and demands within the political system.
AB - This paper examines causes and implications of Sri Lanka's political regime shift in February 2015, which has been widely hailed a victory for democracy, against the backdrop of the country's political and economic development in the post-independence era. The regime shift vividly demonstrates that voters, given the chance, turn against leaders they perceive to be corrupt, nepotistic, or needlessly divisive, even if they deliver handsome growth figures; there are limits to gaining political legitimacy in a multi-ethnic state simply by creating cleavages between majority and minority communities. For the first time, the minority communities in Sri Lanka appear to have felt themselves part of, and potentially an important influence on, the national political scene. It is, however, difficult at this stage to predict whether the regime change would usher in an era of ethnic harmony and robust economic growth. One hope is that war-weariness and discontent with the previous regime seem to have led to a greater willingness to accommodate diverse perspectives and demands within the political system.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84940657724&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1162/ASEP_a_00371
DO - 10.1162/ASEP_a_00371
M3 - Article
SN - 1535-3516
VL - 14
SP - 22
EP - 54
JO - Asian Economic Papers
JF - Asian Economic Papers
IS - 3
ER -