SRI LANKAN IDEOLOGICAL BATTLES – SUNIL BASTIAN
Image: President J.R. Jayawaradene : the 1977 general election signified a turning point in the history of state formation in post-colonial Sri Lanka
11/06/2018
(11 June 2018) July 1977 and May 2009 signify critical events in the post-colonial history of Sri Lanka. The election of July 1977 brought the centre-right United National Party into power, which inaugurated a new period of capitalist development. It emphasised the private sector, markets and openness to global capitalism. Regimes elected subsequently have continued with these policies. There are differences in how these policies have been implemented by different regimes depending on their political composition and internal ideological battles. But there has been no going back to a situation where pre-1977 ideas became hegemonic in economic policy. Therefore, if we look at the post-colonial economic history of Sri Lanka, post-1977 stands out as a new period.
