The hard choices Sri Lankans must make now

“No time to get Gota ‘cos we are the champions… from the world! ”

It is a hot afternoon at Galle Face Green, the epicentre of Sri Lanka’s fledgling protest movement. Above the sea associated with tents at the protest village floats the voice of a female, singing her exclusive take on a Queen song.

For months, these types of protesters have been at the forefront of the millions-strong Aragalaya movement : named after the Sinhalese word for “struggle” – calling for that resignation of reviled president Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Sri Lankans hold him great elder brother, previous president Mahinda, chiefly responsible for their state’s economic ruin.

Defying all expectations, the particular protesters have earned a victory. A week ago Gota, as he can be popularly known, quit and fled.

But now comes hard part: grappling with all the political aftermath associated with Mr Rajapaksa’s leaving and making some very difficult decisions.

With Mister Rajapaksa gone, protesters have turned their own sights on Ranil Wickremesinghe, the unpopular former prime ressortchef (umgangssprachlich).

He is seen as somebody with close connections with the Rajapaksas, a powerful dynasty that dominated Sri Lanka for nearly 20 years.

As the current acting president, they have little legitimacy in the eyes of the people. Mr Wickremesinghe failed in past usa president campaigns and dropped his own seat in parliament in 2020. He is seen as getting got the top post by sheer situation, after Mr Rajapaksa appointed him caretaker leader while producing his hasty depart.

Last Wednesday, a large number of Sri Lankans stormed the prime minister’s office. At Galle Face Green, where the slogan “Gota Go Home” has dominated for years, the refrain is certainly morphing to “Ranil Go Home”.

But Mister Wickremesinghe has promised to follow the constitutional process, and will remain in power until parliament votes in a brand new president on Wednesday.

Many believe he could throw their hat in the ring and possibly win with all the support of the Rajapaksas’ ruling Sri Lanka People’s Front party (SLPP).

A six-time leading minister who has by no means completed any of their terms, tainted by corruption scandals throughout his time in office, Mr Wickremesinghe has a flawed track record to put it lightly.

But this individual does have experience of operating the country and is considered to have the support of several MPs who want stability and continuity.

You will find others laying claim to the throne, like opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and Dullas Alahapperuma, a SLPP MP. But this might mean a split vote – which could benefit Mr Wickremesinghe.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking intended for Sri Lanka. Its central financial institution governor told the BBC it is uncertain they have enough foreign exchange to buy fuel after the finish of this month. The nation urgently needs a head to negotiate with the International Monetary Fund for a much-needed bailout of its debt.

Could protesters stomach a compromise, and acknowledge Mr Wickremesinghe for the time being to ride out there the economic surprise?

No, said everyone the BBC talked to last week. So tarnished is his reputation that they choose anyone except him.

“He came into strength saying he would definitely hold everyone accountable, the Rajapaksas also, but he do nothing. It’s stupid to think that people are likely to trust him once again, ” said university student Anjalee Wanduragala.

Upon Saturday, protest organiser Nuzly Hameem known as on parliamentarians to listen to the people and refuse Mr Wickremesinghe the presidency.

“If you are likely to support Ranil as president of this country, when the next selection happens, you will not be backed by the people and you ought to remember that, ” this individual warned.

Protest organisers have promised to continue demonstrating if Mr Wickremesinghe wins power on Wednesday.

The only way can possibly mollify all of them is if he is able to solve the economic crisis – or at least get an uninterrupted supply of fuel – but that will not take place overnight.

Some argue the demonstrations would certainly only hinder and distract at a time once the country needs to get together to dig itself out of the hole.

“Aragalaya has to take whoever comes into strength next. You cannot maintain protesting, ” one particular lawmaker told organisers in a meeting last week.

But the deeper query is whether continued protest is justifiable.

The strength of the Aragalaya motion has been its leaderless, organic nature. It could what makes it so great at spontaneous mass uprisings – but it also makes it difficult to forecast or control.

Previously few months, peaceful marches have morphed straight into chaotic clashes with military and police. In the past week alone, protesters have stormed the official residences from the president and leading minister, taken over the particular presidential secretariat building, and attempted to enter parliament.

The movement is now facing repercussion from some sectors.

The Club Association pleaded along with protesters to vacate the prime minister’s workplace last week, saying it would not support “a situation of lawlessness or anarchy”. A good ambulance service lamented it had been attacked during the chaos.

A few citizens say the particular protesters have broken the sanctity of Sri Lanka’s organizations by forcing admittance to government structures seen as symbols associated with state power.

In solidarity with the protesters, some businesses possess given them some much needed financing. However they could rethink this particular if the protests are prolonged and add to the destabilisation of the economy.

Privately, the particular protest organisers continuously worry the motion could spin away into violence due to fringe elements, the particular BBC understands.

In recent months demonstrators have got torched MPs’ houses, as well as Mr Wickremesinghe’s private residence as well as the Rajapaksas’ ancestral house.

Security forces are usually accused of violence in their attempts to quell demonstrations, including shooting at protesters, badly beating all of them and firing substantial amounts of tear fuel. They have injured countless protesters so far.

Organisers are now hoping to call down the temperature as they press on.

They have got vacated most of the buildings they were occupying, and therefore are now stressing they will only focus on peaceful demonstrations.

Asked by the BBC if he or she thought the protest movement had gone too far, organiser Father Jeevantha Peiris said: “We only wanted a protest rally – that was organised by us. The rest of it we had no manage.

“People are very keen to, they are in unrest… Ranil is directly responsible for this. inch

He said they would be pursuing different forms of non-violent protests such as marches plus strikes, as well as occupation of government structures. “The only issue is we will by no means let public property get damaged. All of us don’t want anyone to get hurt, inch he said.

But no matter the difficult choices that will lie ahead designed for Sri Lankans in the coming days plus weeks, they have already accomplished much.

The violent uprising has for the first time delivered together three major communities – Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims – for a typical cause. Men, women, children, Buddhist monks, Christian priests and nuns and Muslim businessmen have all joined up with in.

“Our more youthful generations, we have trained them not to reverse. They will go forward, they are asking for all demands, ” said demonstration leader Visaka Jayaweera.

After so many years in thrall to the Rajapaksas, Sri Lankans have done the unthinkable, prying their nation out of the family’s metal grip.

It might go down in history as being a moment when everyone else were emboldened to demand a greater say in how their particular country should be run.

Sri Lanka’s political figures now know what is just around the corner them if they never deliver.