Nepotism which is bad for democracy is gaining roots at the highest level of the Sri Lankan government. A single family, that of the country’s leader, is seizing control of administrative and political authority of the country. This article written by Mujib Mashal is published in The New York Times. Here is an excerpt:

The first attempt by a Rajapaksa to return to power in Sri Lanka was brief.

In 2018, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in as prime minister, even though the man he was supposedly replacing said he still held the job. Mr. Rajapaksa eventually backed down, though not before chairs were smashed and chili powder and fists were thrown in Parliament.

But a year later, his brother Gotabaya was elected president. Since then, the Rajapaksas have stamped their name so thoroughly on Sri Lanka’s government that it feels like a family enterprise — albeit a struggling one, with the economy in tatters and discontent rising.

Read the full article here.