A few Sri Lankan politicians visited the U.S. Embassy in Colombo to view the results of the 2020 presidential election in the United States. Among them was former Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera. When Joe Biden won the 2020 election, Mangala and other opposition politicians with ties to the U.S. saw it as a significant threat to the administration of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, then in power. The Rajapaksas had publicly stated that Mahinda Rajapaksa’s 2015 presidential defeat was an American conspiracy. They anticipated that, with the Republican Party gaining power after Obama’s Democratic administration, the U.S. would be more favourable to their interests. After Trump assumed office in 2017, it was rumoured that his administration assisted Gotabaya in renouncing his American citizenship, which had been a key obstacle to his presidential bid. However, Mangala, the then Foreign Minister, stated that Gotabaya had not renounced his citizenship, though the U.S. Embassy later confirmed that he had.
At a ceremony in Sri Lanka marking Mangala’s 30 years in politics, Democratic party ally Samantha Power attended and criticized Trump sharply, which then-Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe did not favour, as he preferred not to antagonize Trump’s administration. Although Ranil maintained close ties with the Republicans, Mangala, as well as Chandrika Kumaratunga—who had supported the formation of the Sirisena-Ranil coalition—maintained closer relations with the Democrats. When Biden won in 2020, Mangala and Chandrika were particularly pleased. State media at the time claimed that Samantha Power, a friend of Mangala’s, had sent operatives to support public uprisings in Sri Lanka. Reports indicated that, under Gotabaya’s orders, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had summoned the U.S. ambassador and questioned about this matter.
Gotabaya’s relationship with Biden’s administration weakened over time, with Gotabaya later alleging that the U.S. supported movements against him. After Gotabaya, Ranil, who succeeded him as president, did not have close ties with Biden’s administration. Though Biden’s administration provided some assistance to help Sri Lanka rebuild its economy, it fell short of Ranil’s expectations. He had hoped for Trump’s return to power, if he won in a future election, thinking this would be advantageous.
If Trump were to become president again, Anura Kumara’s government might expect human rights accusations against Sri Lanka to ease. However, Anura Kumara has strengthened ties with Biden’s administration, particularly through Ambassador Julie Chung. While Biden did not wish Ranil when he became president, he congratulated Anura. It is uncertain if Anura’s government fully understands the impact of the U.S. presidential election on Sri Lanka, but it is likely to favour a Democratic president.
