‘The hardship is still there’: Sri Lanka prepares to vote as hopes of revolution falter

Nearly six months after unprecedented protests toppled the country’s ruling Rajapaksa dynasty, many Sri Lankans are preparing to cast their ballots disillusioned and disappointed.

Sri Lanka is due to hold local elections on Saturday, the first major electoral test since the dramatic scenes of July 9, when protesters stormed the presidential palace and forced Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country.

Rajapaksa’s eventual resignation — and that of his brother, Mahinda, who had served as prime minister — was a moment of euphoria for demonstrators, many of whom had endured months of food and fuel shortages, skyrocketing inflation and lengthy power cuts.

But the sense of optimism has since given way to disillusionment, as the new government has failed to deliver on many of its promises and the country’s economic crisis has deepened.

“The hardship is still there,” said Shreen Saroor, a 50-year-old who works for a telecommunications company in the capital, Colombo. “We thought that the new government would be different, but they have not been able to solve any of our problems.”

The cost of living remains high, with inflation at over 50%. Power cuts have become more frequent in recent weeks, and the government has been forced to impose fuel rationing.

The economic crisis has also led to a sharp increase in poverty and unemployment.

In the run-up to the local elections, there have been few signs of the excitement that accompanied the protests earlier this year.