SRI LANKA: Where power is a family affair
Sri Lanka’s politics have become a family business. The parliamentary election held in August further consolidated the Rajapaksa family’s grip on political power. The Sri Lanka People’s Freedom Alliance, formed around its main party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, led by Prime Minister and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, won by a landslide.
Due to its control over state media and the support it received from most private media, both electronic and print, the government had a definite advantage over the opposition during the election campaign. The smaller opposition political parties were at the most disadvantageous position, as they did not get any significant airtime or publicity in mainstream media.
Sandun Thudugala
