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Opinion

Sri Lankan president looks to consolidate power in delayed election

Coronavirus may push down turnout and give Rajapaksa majority to change constitution

| Sri Lanka
Gotabaya Rajapaksa greets supporters at Anuradhapura on July 3: Sri Lankans should be suspicious of the president's desire for more power.   © NurPhoto/Getty Images

Ravi Ratnasabapathy is an independent consultant based in Colombo.

The campaign for Sri Lanka's rescheduled parliamentary election lacks zest. Originally slated for April 25, it was postponed by the pandemic and will now take place on August 5, but to citizens distracted by economic worries and the pandemic, it barely registers.

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