ABSTRACT
Thanks to universal franchise being introduced in 1931, Sri Lanka began its post-independence journey smacking of a liberal democracy. But the majoritarian politics that took hold soon transformed the island into an ethnocracy. A nearly three-decade-long civil war between Sinhalese and Tamils and the authoritarian proclivities of certain leaders contributed to this process, with Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa especially standing out in this regard. Since being elected president in 2019, the latter has pursued policies amidst the COVID-19 crisis geared to transform the country into a militarized ethnocracy. While Sri Lankans clearly prefer democracy over other forms of government, heightened ethnonationalism and the allure of strongman rule could well cement autocratization.
