Security apparatus ensures smooth transition in Colombo

Towards the end of the campaigns, this shift was visible in the judiciary and the police as well, analysts said.

Security personnel at Independence Square where Sirisena took oath Friday. (Source: photo by Arun Janardhanan)

Despite the almost half-a-dozen attacks on opposition candidates — and a bomb blast near a polling station near Point Pedro in Jaffna — Sri Lanka’s election commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya managed to wrap up a relatively peaceful election.

According to analysts, a main reason for this was the neutral position taken this time by the top bureaucracy and army who played a major role in ensuring a successful election and a smooth transition.

Towards the end of the campaigns, this shift was visible in the judiciary and the police as well, analysts said. As examples, they point to two widely reported instances:

# In December, those who were arrested for setting fire to a stage prepared for Sirisena were taken out of custody by Nishantha Muthuhettigama, a deputy minister. Muthuhettigama was then allowed to fly to Singapore despite the issuance of an arrest warrant against him. Following strong criticism from the media, he returned and was arrested on December 28.

# On the last day of the presidential election campaigns, a magistrate at the Kaduwela court, in the suburbs of Colombo, ordered TV channels not to report on Rajapaksa’s election meetings, citing poll rule violations.

Victor Ivan, a Marxist leader from the 1970s and editor of the controversial Sinhalese newspaper Ravaya (Echo), said Rajapaksa was forced to agree to a smooth transition. “We need reforms to escape from politicians who played with religion or caste or ethnicity. This is the time for change and we have to make it gracefully,” he said.

Arun Janardhanan

Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority. Expertise Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews. Key Coverage Areas: State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor. Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties. Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu. Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail. His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism. Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More

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