Sri Lanka, Dec. 7 -- At his second and last swearing in nine years ago, Mahinda Rajapaksa told the people that he was only a temporary custodian of the nation. After his first and last swearing in five years later, Maithripala Sirisena in Kandy referred to himself as the first servant of the people. In Anuradhapura two weeks ago, by contrast, Gotabaya Rajapaksa did not deign to describe himself or the role he would be playing for the next few years. He did, however, lay down an outline of his manifesto and asserted his commitment to getting it implemented. That remark will be the litmus test against which all his successes and failures from here onwards will be gauged. Partly because of Sirisena's presidency, as well as the failure that was...