Course correction

As president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa is turning out to be completely different from elder brother Mahinda in both style and substance

- Frances Bulathsinghala

MORE THAN TWO months have passed after Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected president of Sri Lanka and most people find him to be completely different from his brother, former president Mahinda Rajapaksa. Gotabaya, who was defence secretary under Mahinda, contested the presidential elections as the candidate of Mahinda’s Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna. But he seems to be plotting an independent course as president, despite appointing Mahinda as prime minister.

Gotabaya shuns the pomp and pageantry so loved by Mahinda. Sri Lankans were stunned when the new president opted for a simple ceremony to inaugurate the fourth session of the parliament on January 3. There was no ceremonial 21-gun salute or mounted police escort, which used to be the norm during Mahinda’s presidency. The two brothers have distinct sartorial styles as well. While Mahinda prefers the white national dress and the red shawl, Gotabaya delivered his inaugural address dressed in a dashing suit.

One of Gotabaya’s first orders as president was not to have his photographs in government offices. When an enthusiastic supporter put up his life-sized portrait in a public place, he immediately ordered it to be taken down. When Mahinda was president, his photographs, posters and cutouts were seen at almost every street corner and in every government office.

Gotabaya seems to have a different approach towards handling dissent. The first street march by university students after Gotabaya took over ended in a discussion. The president tweeted that instead of the usual tear gas and baton charges that greeted student protests, he had invited them to his office so that they could discuss their issues with the officials concerned.