Protests ousted Sri Lanka's last president. Ahead of new election, many are still waiting for change

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Two years ago, tens of thousands of Sri Lankans rose up against their president and forced him to flee the country. As the country prepares for its first election since then, many say they’re still waiting for change.

As Sri Lanka sank into economic collapse in 2022, people from various walks of life rallied to change a long-entrenched government they saw as responsible. The unprecedented island-wide public uprising they led was a moment of hope for the country long been fatigued by war and economic instability.

Days ahead of Saturday’s presidential election, many still complain of corrupt leaders, economic mismanagement, and the entrenched power of the political old guard, but former protesters are having a hard time coming together behind a candidate.

They agree on one thing: Sri Lanka needs a new political system that can take it out of economic and political turbulence.

Days after Rajapaksa fled the country, Sri Lanka’s parliament replaced him with then-prime minister Ranil Wickremensignhe in a vote that many protesters saw as a victory for the status quo.

Many Sri Lankans say the current government is largely made up of the same politicians who have ruled the island nation for decades through a devastating civil war that ended in 2009 to the economic crisis that began during the coronavirus pandemic.

Even though he was later jailed for seven days on charges of violence that saw Sri Lankan dissidents ransacking the presidential palace, 42-year-old physician Pathum Kerner said the protests achieved one goal: bringing in a new leader who could address the country’s economic woes.

The worst of the economic crisis is over, he says, but there’s still a long road ahead. “We wanted to create a new party, a new political culture, and emerging leaders, but we could not do that,” said Kerner, who joined the protests in their first days and helped to start the “Go Home, Gota” slogan that became a rallying cry for Rajapaksa’s foes.

Wickremensignhe has made progress steadying Sri Lanka’s economy, but discontent remains strong as he’s introduced economic policies that have raised the cost of living, like tax cuts and a debt restructuring program.

Meanwhile, many of the protest movement’s political demands remain unmet, from accountability from his predecessors for the economic crisis, to curtailment of president’s powers and a democratic replacement.

Ajantha Perera, an academic and scientist who was part of the protests, said she hoped at first that Wickremeisnghe would work with the protesters to find solutions to the crisis.

Instead, she said, the new president went after civil society leaders who were instrumental in the citizens’ movement, delayed local elections citing lack of funds, and protected the powerful Rajapaksa clan that had ruled Sri Lanka for more than 12 years.

“All of a sudden he turned into something totally different. He was trying to please the Rajapaksas who left,” Perera said.

Like many former protesters, she wants Sri Lanka to strip its presidency of most of its powers, moving them to a more powerful parliament and prime minister.

“Executive presidency is a white elephant for Sri Lanka,” she said, saying that any new president could use it to tighten their grip over the country. “We can’t afford it. We don’t need it.”

The former protesters are finding that they don’t always agree the course their country should take, spurring divisions between one-time allies.

Wickremensignhe’s main challengers — opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and parliamentarian Anura Dissanayake, a surprise top contender who heads a new leftist coalition — have promised major political changes, including renegotiating a deal with the International Monetary Fund to win more favorable terms.

Dissanayake has even promised to nationalize the country’s resources to spur growth.

Those promises worry Kerner, who says he’s eager to hold the government to its promises but doesn’t trust leftists with the economy.

“Bringing in a leftist to this crisis,” Kerner said, “is like leaving laxatives to a patient who’s dying from dehydration.”

Human rights lawyer Swasthika Arulingam says that the emerging political splits among former protesters are a sign of healthier democracy.

Arulingam, who offered legal aid to protesters during the uprising, says Sri Lankans have become “politically conscious” after decades of voting on ethnic lines.

“This was the moment when the political status quo broke and people came out to the streets and demanded for systemic change. So definitely there’s a shift in politics in terms of the younger generation,” Arulingam said. “Political parties and candidates can no longer come and say whatever they want. People are asking questions now.”

The 37-year-old, a member of the minority Tamil community that bore the brunt of the civil war — is helping run a campaign for a candidate from the newly minted People’s Struggle Alliance. It’s another leftist political movement that is vying for a place in Sri Lanka’s political landscape.

On a recent afternoon in Homagama, a town which is about 24 kilometers (15 miles) south-east of Colombo, Arulingam spoke in front a small crowd of supporters and urged them to vote for change.

Arulingam admits her party won’t win this election, but she says it won’t hesitate to hit the streets again if the country’s politicians don’t meet demands for change.

“We are gearing up for a political fight, and we are preparing the ground,” she said.

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Associated Press writers Krishan Francis and Bharatha Mallawarachi contributed to this report.

Presidential candidate and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawgaya or United People's Power party waves to supporters as he arrives for the final election rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Leader and the presidential candidate of National People's Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake speaks to supporters during the final public rally ahead of the election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's president Ranil Wickremesinghe speaks during a public rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Ajantha Perera, an academic and scientist who was part of the protests, poses for a photo in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Ajantha Perera, an academic and scientist who was part of the protests talks to the Associated Press in in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

People walk past a graffiti near the 2022 protest site that reads "Go Home Gota," a slogan under which Sri Lankans where mobilized during the public uprising that led to the ousting of the then president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Swasthika Arulingam, right, 37, a human rights lawyer and a minority Tamil, who offered legal aid to protesters during the uprising, talks to Nuwan Bopage, a presidential candidate from People's Struggle Alliance during an election campaign in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Swasthika Arulingam, 37, a human rights lawyer and a minority Tamil, who offered legal aid to protesters during the uprising, poses for a photo in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

FILE - Police fire tear gas as protesters stormed the compound of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe demanding he resign after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country amid an economic crisis in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena, File)

FILE - People wait in a queue with empty cylinders to buy domestic gas at a distribution center, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

FILE - Protesters shouts slogans demanding acting president and prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe resign in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

FILE - Sri Lanka army soldiers patrol near the official residence of president Gotabaya Rajapaksa three days after it was stormed by anti government protesters in Colombo in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

FILE - A protester holds a portrait of former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa upside down after storming the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office demanding he resign after president Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country amid economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena, File)

Pathum Kerner, a 42-year-old physician who was among the first Sri Lankans to join the public uprising that ended President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's regime and a key figure in starting the "Go home, Gota" walks at a 2022 protest side, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Pathum Kerner, a 42-year-old physician who was among the first Sri Lankans to join the public uprising that ended President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's regime and a key figure in starting the "Go home, Gota", talks to Associated Press at the 2022 protest site, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Pathum Kerner, a 42-year-old physician who was among the first Sri Lankans to join the public uprising that ended President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's regime and a key figure in starting the "Go home, Gota" poses for a photograph in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Going into November's election, neither Kamala Harris nor Donald Trump has a decisive edge with the public on the economy, turning an issue that was once a clear strength for Trump into the equivalent of a political jump ball.

About 4 in 10 registered voters say Republican Trump would do a better job handling the economy, while a similar number say that about the Democratic vice president, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. About 1 in 10 voters don’t trust either candidate, and a similar share has equal faith in them.

The finding is a warning sign for Trump, who has tried to link Harris to President Joe Biden’s economic track record. The new poll suggests that Harris may be escaping some of the president’s baggage on the issue, undercutting what was previously one of Trump’s major advantages.

The economy has long been a weak issue for Biden: A separate AP-NORC poll conducted in late June, before Biden’s disastrous debate with Trump, found that about 6 in 10 Americans disapproved of his handling of the economy. Earlier this year, Americans were much more likely to say that Trump's presidency helped the country on cost of living and job creation, compared to Biden's.

The new poll found that the economy is one of the most important issues for about 8 in 10 voters as they consider which candidate to support, dwarfing other top issues like health care and crime.

The aftermath of inflation's spike in 2022 to a four-decade high has pervaded this year's presidential contest. Shoppers are upset over their grocery bills. Higher interest rates are financially squeezing the buyers of homes and motor vehicles. All that has appeared to matter more to the public than the low 4.2% unemployment rate and stock market gains.

According to the AP-NORC poll, only about one-third of voters say the state of the national economy is somewhat or very good, although they're more optimistic about their own situation, with about 6 in 10 voters saying their household's finances are somewhat or very good. Both of those numbers have remained steady over the course of the year, despite falling inflation.

The candidates have clashing ideas about how best to straighten out the economy, giving voters a stark choice that might hint at how partisan identity increasingly informs views of the economy and policy. But neither campaign has fully explained how its plans would be implemented. Harris insists her plans would be fully funded and not add to the deficit, while Trump's team assumes — in defiance of most economic models — that growth will be high enough to offset the cost.

Mark Carlough, 33, who works on medical records in Philadelphia, plans to vote for Harris and says he believes that the taxes on imports proposed by Trump would hurt most consumers.

“The tariffs would be horrible for the economy," he said.

Richard Tunnell, 32, of Huntsville, Texas, plans to vote for Trump, just as he did in 2020. He’s not sure if the Republican has an advantage over Harris on the economy, but he noted that Trump has been a great businessman who remains one of the “richest men on the planet” even after filing for bankruptcy multiple times.

”I believe this country needs someone to reach their hand in it and work it like a game of Monopoly and that person is Donald Trump,” said Tunnell, a military veteran on disability.

Chantelle Breaux, 38, a stay-at-home parent from Lafayette, Louisiana, feels neither candidate has much to offer on the economy. She doesn't plan to vote — unless a candidate more to her liking enters the race.

“Kamala wants to put a Band-Aid where major surgery needs to be done on this economy,” said Breaux. “Trump wants to run the country as if it’s a business, but it isn’t a business that is going to support all of the people."

Former President Trump suggests growth would come from tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy leading to more investment, while a universal tariff of as much as 20% would direct that investment to building U.S. factories.

Harris has campaigned on more benefits for the middle class to be funded by higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy, saying that would help to contain costs and deliver growth. Her team has warned that Trump's tariffs would lead to higher prices and worsen underlying inflation challenges.

The economy is one of many issues shaping public sentiment as the campaigns seek to turn out their voters. More than half of voters said health care was a top concern, while roughly half said that about crime, immigration, abortion policy and gun policy. Only about one-third called climate change one of the most important issues for their vote, and about one-quarter said that about the war between Israel and Hamas.

Trump and Harris are evenly matched in the poll on who would better handle crime and the war in Gaza. But the issues soon splinter in ways that reflect the distinct priorities of Republicans and Democrats.

Trump has an advantage over Harris on whom voters trust to better handle immigration. This issue was a problem for Biden, as well: Illegal immigration and crossings at the U.S. border with Mexico have been a challenge during much of his administration. Republicans are more likely to care about immigration, the issue where Trump has a clear upper hand.

Harris fares better than Trump when it comes to issues that Democrats care more about, including gun policy, health care, abortion policy and climate change.

Rosamaria Nunez, a 68-year-old retiree in San Antonio, Texas, identified gun violence as the most important issue facing the country, saying it became personal when her grandson called her last year to be picked up because of a school lockdown.

Nunez said she plans to vote for Harris, saying: "First of all, she’s a gun owner, so she can relate to the safety issue. She seems like she’s more in tune with a real person than Trump is.”

Overall, voters see high stakes for the presidential election’s impact on the country’s future, the economy, and the future of democracy in the U.S., but they’re less likely to think the election will have an impact on them personally. About 8 in 10 voters say the election will have “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of impact on the country’s future. About three-quarters say the election will have a similar impact on the nation’s economy and the future of democracy in the U.S.

By contrast, half of voters say the election will have at least “quite a bit” of impact on them personally.

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The poll of 1,771 registered voters was conducted September 12-16, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for registered voters is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at the Israeli American Council National Summit, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris listens to a parent's survivor story as she joins Oprah Winfrey at Oprah's Unite for America Live Streaming event Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024 in Farmington Hills, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)