Last week, one of America’s top diplomats, Donald Lu, visited India to discuss Indo-Pacific stability. He is the Assistant Secretary of State responsible for South and Central Asian Affairs in the U.S. Department of State. In addition to India, Donald Lu also visited Bangladesh. His visit to Bangladesh was to hold discussions with the new government. The timing of Donald Lu’s visits to India and Bangladesh has become a controversial issue, following remarks made by former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from India, accusing the U.S. of being involved in a conspiracy to remove her from power.
Lu’s sudden trip to Delhi to discuss Indo-Pacific stability coincides with the upcoming presidential elections in Sri Lanka. It is expected that the Sri Lankan election will inevitably be a topic of discussion during his visit to Delhi, as the political stability of Sri Lanka is important to the stability of the Indo-Pacific region. Donald Lu is seen as a supporter of Ranil Wickremesinghe. Lu was the one who gave Ranil the highest assertion regarding economic recovery, referring to this as a miracle. Although America was initially sceptical of Ranil’s presidency, due to his rise to power with the support of the China-aligned Rajapaksas, it was Donald Lu who dispelled any doubts about Ranil. However, Lu’s trip to Delhi comes at a time when survey reports indicate that Ranil has dropped to third place in the presidential race. Furthermore, Ranil’s election campaign seems to be weakening the chances of Sajith and increasing the chances for Anura to win.
America could have some influence on Sri Lanka’s minority communities, and in this election, minority votes are more decisive than in previous elections. The U.S. is well aware that if the minority votes are split between Ranil and Sajith, Anura could win, and no one needs to tell the U.S. that.
Though the U.S. has recently paid special attention to Anura, its preference had always been for Ranil. But with Ranil falling to third place, the U.S. must now choose between Anura and Sajith. Sajith’s father, Premadasa, was a staunch supporter of the U.S., despite his issues with Britain. Even during the 1988 presidential election, America’s choice was Premadasa. After Premadasa’s assassination, Ranil won America’s favour. However, during Bangladesh’s struggle, the U.S. favoured Nobel Peace Prize laureate Yunus, who was seen as the choice of the movement.
In this presidential election, there’s nothing more the U.S. can do. As a result, the U.S. has no alternative but to rely on Delhi to protect its interests in the Indo-Pacific region.
