Sri Lanka, Dec. 10 -- When you and your government won the elections last year, both local and international circles were stunned by the sheer magnitude of the victory. A map of Sri Lanka painted almost entirely in the NPP's maroon colour sent a clear message from the people that they were exhausted by a corrupt system that enriched those in power while draining taxpayers to their last rupee. Your two-thirds majority was not just a political feat; it was a plea from the nation for something drastically different.

I am sure the scale of your triumph surprised you as well. It was evident in your voice when you and I spoke just hours before you were officially announced as the winner of the Presidential Election. You called it a victory of ...