Protests have overthrown Sri Lanka's last president. Many are still waiting for change before new elections

COLOMBIA – Two years ago, tens of thousands of Sri Lankans rose up against their president and forced him to leave the country. As the country prepares for its first elections since then, many say they are still waiting for change.

As Sri Lanka descended into economic collapse in 2022, people from all walks of life rallied to overthrow a long-standing government they believed to be in charge. The unprecedented, island-wide public uprising they led was a moment of hope for the country long fatigued by war and economic instability.

With Saturday's presidential election just days away, many still complain about corrupt politicians, economic mismanagement and the entrenched power of the old political guard, but former protesters are finding it difficult to unite behind a candidate.

They agree on one point: Sri Lanka needs a new political system that can lead the country out of economic and political turmoil.

A few days after Rajapaksa left the country, the Sri Lankan parliament replaced him with then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremensignhe. The vote was seen by many protesters as a victory for the status quo.

Many Sri Lankans say the current government is largely made up of the same politicians who have ruled the island nation for decades – from the devastating civil war that ended in 2009 to the economic crisis that began during the coronavirus pandemic.

Although he was later sentenced to seven days in prison for violence related to the ransacking of the presidential palace by Sri Lankan dissidents, 42-year-old doctor Pathum Kerner said the protests had achieved one goal: the coming to power of a new leader who could tackle the country's economic problems.

The worst of the economic crisis is over, he says, but there is still a long way to go. “We wanted to create a new party, a new political culture and new leaders, but we have not succeeded,” says Kerner, who joined the protests in the first days and coined the slogan “Go Home, Gota,” which became the rallying cry of Rajapaksa's opponents.

Although Wickremensignhe has made progress in stabilising the Sri Lankan economy, discontent remains high as he has introduced economic policies such as tax cuts and a debt restructuring programme that have increased the cost of living.

Meanwhile, many of the protest movement's political demands remained unfulfilled – from holding his predecessors responsible for the economic crisis to limiting the president's power and his democratic replacement.

Ajantha Perera, an academic and researcher who took part in the protests, said she had initially hoped that Wickremeisnghe would work with the protesters to find solutions to the crisis.

Instead, she said, the new president had targeted civil society leaders who had played an important role in the civil movement, postponed local elections on the grounds of lack of funds, and protected the powerful Rajapaksa clan, which had ruled Sri Lanka for more than 12 years.

“Suddenly he turned into something completely different. He tried to please the Rajapaksas who were abandoning him,” Perera said.

Like many former protesters, she wants Sri Lanka to strip its president of most of his powers and hand them over to a more powerful parliament and prime minister.

“The office of the executive president is a useless possession for Sri Lanka,” she said, adding that any new president could use it to tighten his grip on the country. “We cannot afford it. We do not need it.”

The former protesters find that they do not always agree with the direction their country should take, causing divisions among former allies.

Wickremensignhe's main challengers – opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and parliamentarian Anura Dissanayake, who is the surprise frontrunner to head a new left-wing coalition – have promised major policy changes, including renegotiating an agreement with the International Monetary Fund to secure more favourable terms.

Dissanayake has even promised to nationalize the country's resources to stimulate growth.

These promises worry Kerner. He says he would like to hold the government to its promises, but does not trust the Left on economic issues.

“Bringing a leftist into this crisis,” Kerner said, “is like leaving laxatives for a patient dying of dehydration.”

Human rights lawyer Swasthika Arulingam says the emerging political divisions among former protesters are a sign of a healthier democracy.

Arulingam, who provided legal assistance to protesters during the uprising, says Sri Lankans have become “politically conscious” after decades of voting along ethnic lines.

“That was the moment when the political status quo collapsed and people took to the streets demanding a change in the system. So there is definitely a political change in the younger generation,” Arulingam said. “Political parties and candidates can no longer come and say what they want. People are now asking questions.”

The 37-year-old, a member of the Tamil minority that bore the brunt of the civil war, is helping to run a campaign for a candidate from the newly formed People's Struggle Alliance, another left-wing political movement vying for a place in Sri Lanka's political landscape.

On a recent afternoon in Homagama, a town about 15 miles southeast of Colombo, Arulingam addressed a small crowd of his supporters and urged them to vote for change.

While Arulingam admits that her party will not win this election, she says she will not hesitate to take to the streets again if the country's politicians do not respond to demands for change.

“We are preparing for a political struggle and preparing the ground,” she said.

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Associated Press writers Krishan Francis and Bharatha Mallawarachi contributed to this report.