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Why did Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resign during Sri Lanka’s 2022 uprising?
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Generation Z protests
In Greek and Roman myth the old god consumes his children to preserve his power. In many countries today the young face a version of the same fate: priced out of housing, burdened by debt, and taxed to sustain the pensions and property wealth of older generations.
Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned as prime minister of Sri Lanka in May 2022 due to sustained nationwide unrest and intense public pressure stemming from a severe economic collapse.
The uprising, driven by years of fiscal mismanagement and the concentration of power within the Rajapaksa family, was exacerbated by several factors:
- Economic Crisis: Steep tax cuts implemented in 2019 ballooned the national deficit, while a 2021 ban on chemical fertilizers and pesticides caused widespread food shortages.12
- Global Disruptions: The COVID-19 pandemic and fuel shortages following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to rapid inflation and daily power outages.13
- Political Pressure: Beginning in March 2022, students and young professionals organized mass protests. Although the government attempted to reshuffle the cabinet in April, the move failed to placate the opposition, and members of the ruling coalition began to defect.12
Ultimately, the sustained protests and the growing political instability made his position as prime minister untenable, leading to his resignation.23