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Sri Lankan expats in Dubai divided over election results

Expats want a voting system for overseas residents, better living conditions and a country not divided by favouring minority groups.

Sri Lanka's newly elected president Maithripala Sirisena gestures after being sworn in on January 9, 2015 - Photo by AFP

Dubai: Voters in Sri Lanka announced their verdict on Friday and hailed Maithripala Sirisena as their new president after a tightly contested election. Official results showed Sirisena, a former ally of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, won 51.3 per cent of the votes (read report).

Rajapaksa had called the election two years ahead of schedule, hoping to win a record third six-year term. However, much to his disbelief, he got only over 47 per cent votes, and had to leave his official residence.

Sri Lankan expats in Dubai remain divided over the election results.

Ajantha Premarathna (in pic, right), who works in Dubai as a quantity surveyor, has been staying in the emirate for 20 years and couldn’t cast his vote. He hopes the new government will put a voting system in place for expats by the next round of election. He is also worried that the new president may divide the country through a federal government.

'Sirisena won by only a thin margin, so that means not everyone is happy with the results. My fear is the new government might favour the minority groups and push for federalism. I want Sri Lanka to remain united.'

However, he adds that the new government has plans for a series of constitutional and democratic reforms.

'The positive part about the new government is they say they will work for good governance which is free from corruption. It's not possible to end corruption completely but my hope is that graft will be curbed to a great extent,' he said.

When asked if the new president will allow investigation into alleged war crimes, he said: “Sirisena has made it clear that he will allow only internal investigation. He will not allow any Sri Lankan soldier or leader to be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court (ICC).”

Many other expats in Dubai say they are optimistic and believe development can now take place.

Yasantha Wijesekera (in pic, right), who works in the automobile sector, has been living in Dubai for the last 12 years and he hasn't been able to cast his vote. However, he says he’s now hopeful that when he returns to his home country in future, he won’t be disappointed.

“I am looking forward to a peaceful country that is free of corruption. I hope when I return, the new government puts many development reforms in place and the cost of living is reduced. There was so much drug smuggling going on in the country. There were allegations that people from the government in power were involved. I hope the new government puts an end to the unlimited powers given to the president.”

As for the foreign policy, Yasantha says: “The president should make sure he does not favour any particular country. He should be fair to all. He should allow foreign investment from all countries and not prefer one over the other. It should just be how in UAE, all other countries are allowed to invest fairly.”

The opposition had accused Rajapaksa of nepotism, misrule, corruption and authoritarianism. Some expats say they are now counting on the new president.

Rikas Buhary (in pic, right), 25, who works in Dubai as an accountant, said: “I am expecting perfect democracy, reduction of expenses, more job opportunities, defeat of family rule, and good governance.”

Kaleel Rahman, also an accountant in Dubai, says: 'Rajapaksa got his friends and family to rule the country. There was no law and order. No democracy. He thought he could rule the country forever just because he won the war. Now with the change in government, Rajapaksa fears there could be a probe into the property he acquired through unfair means.”

Kaleel has been living in Dubai for the last 20 years. However, he says he went back to his country several time to cast his vote.

“I am worried about the poor economy of my country. People back home earn 20,000 Sri Lankan rupees and buy a cup of tea for 35 rupees. Here in Dubai we have an income of around 500,000 rupees and still get the tea for the same price. Such is the level of inflation and cost of living. I hope the expenses in Sri Lanka come down drastically. The cost of production is high, because they have put unnecessary taxes. I hope the new government will do away with such high taxes.'

At the same time, many expats say the change in government is a cause of worry.

Sunil ChandraKumar, a manager at Etisalat, says: “I respect the people’s mandate. But they voted for those who are actively involved in the division of the country -- the ethnicity has been a critical factor here. The minority parties have their own agenda. The country shouldn’t be divided on ethnicity. The minority political parties have clear agreements underneath with Sirisena. The Tamil and Muslims politicians want to come to power using the ‘ethnicity’ trump card. Such revelations will surface with time. I don’t think my country will remain united after the change in government.”

He adds that former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is throwing weight behind president-elect Sirisena, is a proven supporter of division. “Divide and rule will happen now. They will create chaos within Sri Lanka and help minorities in becoming extremists.”

He added: “Right now, people are happy to see the change, but the change is leading to destruction, not to progress. The new government cannot fulfill people’s aspirations. They can’t make the country self sufficient. The opposition campaign only talked about removing corruption but they didn’t have any concrete plans for development. Corruption shouldn’t be the deciding factor while casting votes because the new government is also going to do it anyway. “

On being asked about the alleged war crimes he said: “There’s tremendous pressure from the west for probe into war crimes under the cover of the UN. But it’s not an independent investigation – I believe the decision has been made already against Rajapaksa, now they only want to put a legal stamp on it. The new government will be more supportive of the west.”

Another Sri Lankan expat said on condition of anonymity: “The new president would behave like a puppet and dance to the tunes of Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Wickremesinghe. They would follow a policy of divide and rule. It’s only a matter of time for people to realise it and see it themselves.”