Sri Lankans celebrate after President Rajapaksa steps down — but larger problems loom

The President’s departure from office marks a major victory for the protesters, who for months have demanded the removal of both Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Many in Sri Lanka blame Rajapaksa for the country’s worsening situation, with runaway inflation and shortages of basic goods such as fuel and food impacting everyday life.But while Rajapaksa is now out of the picture, having landed in Singapore on Thursday, following an earlier escape to the Maldives via military jet, his close political ally Wickremesinghe remains firmly in place — and was sworn in as Acting President Friday. But experts say questions remain about Sri Lanka’s future. If anything, the political upheaval and lack of clarity spells trouble for the country’s economic recovery, said Ganeshan Wignaraja, senior research associate at the British think tank, ODI Global.”The thing that I observe is that Sri Lanka is a messy democracy,” he said. “And in this context, today’s discussions in parliament have taken a little bit too long. And it shows the political dysfunctional nature of our politics today.””This political instability can really set back the economy,” he added. “It can scare away investors, it can scare away tourists, it can scare away inward remittances and even aid. I fear the economic crisis will take a long time to sort out and the people will suffer more unless Parliament gets its act together.”