Elections in the subcontinent often have a ‘nothing to see here’ feeling, mainly because, through a heritage of colonial rule, dynastic families and modern electioneering, election results are seldom a surprise to anyone.

Sri Lanka’s recent election was like this with few surprising – to western observers, anyway — turns: newly-elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was handed back his confiscated passport and all corruption charges against him were, under constitutional law that no legal proceedings could be taken against a serving president.