The anatomy of a regime:

Unstoppable in elections, dysfunctional in governance, indefensible against protests

September 15, 2012

by Rajan Philips

There cannot be much disagreement about how to read the current political situation. On the one hand, the government continues to be unstoppable at elections notwithstanding its discontents. On the other hand, protests are becoming unstoppable regardless of the government winning elections. There is a clear standoff between the Rajapaksa regime and its growing detractors. Missing in action are the once potent political parties.

The United National Party is defanged and is permanently divided. The Old Left, the springboard for protests past is now the dead Left buried inside the UPFA. Despite being the main governing party, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party is a different family party within the UPFA. The party of the Bandaranaikes and the Pancha Maha Balavegaya is now the party of the Rajapaksas and the enemy of the new manifestations of the old five forces. The children of 1956 seem to have come home to roost, though not quite the same way and for not quite the same reasons. There is more.

A monster of contradictions                          Full Story>>>