IN NOVEMBER last year, Sri Lanka's then president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, called a snap election believing he would cruise to a third term in power. But, out of the blue, a hitherto feeble and divided opposition united around a common presidential candidate, Maithripala Sirisena. Against most odds, he won the election on January 8. A decade of Rajapaksa rule has collapsed suddenly. Sri Lanka has an unexpected fresh start.

President Rajapaksa campaigned on his economic record after comprehensively defeating the Tamil Tigers in 2009. On the surface, Sri Lanka looks a lot better. It has among the highest growth rates in Asia - an average of 7.5 per cent per annum in the last five years. There is peace. Infrastructure has improved massively. And tourism is booming.

But this surface reality is deceptive. Things have gone terribly wrong with Sri Lanka's politics, ethnic relations, economy and foreign policy.