A chance to put Sri Lanka in order

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 compre…