Gotabaya temporarily fled his country last summer after mass protests over living costs, while Mahinda resigned from his post as prime minister last spring.

Source: https://www.baytoday.ca/national-news/canada-sanctions-four-senior-sri-lanka-leaders-including-two-recent-ex-presidents-6355790

It led to months of protests that toppled president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July last year.

Source: https://www.legit.ng/business-economy/1525198-strike-grips-sri-lanka-unions-protest-imf-bailout/

The crisis peaked in July when protesters angered by the crisis stormed the official residence of then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who briefly fled the country and tendered his resignation from abroad.

Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/sri-lanka-cut-army-half-after-financial-crisis-3204346?cid=cna_flip_070214

Why did nearly 7million Lankans vote for Gotabaya Rajapaksa despite the littleness of his mind, the paucity of his understanding?

Source: http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2023/11/sri-lanka-still-mirage.html