Sri Lanka’s President Concedes Election Defeat | WPN World People News

In Sri Lanka, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has conceded defeat as challenger Maithripala Sirisena consolidated an early lead in the presidential election. Political analysts say minority groups played a key role in ending the decade-long rule of the once-powerful leader, whose popularity had plummeted in recent years.

Vote counting was still in progress Friday morning when President Rajapaksa left his official residence and told the opposition leader in parliament, Ranil Wickremesinghe, that he will bow to the wishes of the people and ensure a smooth transition of power.

Sounds of celebration reverberated in the capital, Colombo, as supporters of the man who will be the new president, Maithripala Sirisena, set off firecrackers.

Sixty-three-year-old Sirisena, who was a top minister in the Rajapaksa government, had quit the president’s party to challenge him. He heads a diverse coalition of parties that range from ethnic, religious, Marxist and center-right, which backed him during the campaign.

Jehan Perera, head of Colombo’s National Peace Council, said Sirisena’s victory has been built up largely with support from Tamil and Muslim minorities. He said the results demonstrate an ethnic polarization in the country.

“What has defeated him (Rajapaksa) is the fact that the ethnic minority vote turned totally against him. But the President did retain the majority support of the Sinhalese. So what it shows is that the president’s period of governance alienated the minority vote,” said Perera.

An indication that the once-powerful President Rajapaksa may not return to the helm came Thursday when Sri Lankans turned up in large numbers to cast ballots as he sought a third term in office.

It was a result that no one had forecast when he called early elections. Rajapaksa won the 2010 elections as he rode a wave of popularity after crushing Tamil Tiger rebels.

But that popularity eroded in recent years as he faced a rising tide of criticism for becoming authoritarian, putting his family in top government positions and undermining institutions such as the judiciary. He also faced allegations of corruption and doing little to draw the ethnic Tamil community into the mainstream.

Sirisena has promised to reduce the immense powers that President Rajapaksa had concentrated in his hands and hold fresh parliamentary elections within 100 days.

An opposition lawmaker said transitional arrangements are being discussed with Rajapaksa, who has been guaranteed security. Some fears had been expressed that the country may experience turmoil if the president is defeated.

But Perera said those fears have proved unwarranted.

“There was a concern that the president might not wish to leave and that he could even resort to the military, because the military is under the control of his brother. But this did not happen. He respected the vote of the people, he respected the mandate, which is to his credit,” said Perera.

The election results are also being watched closely in India, where some analysts had voiced concerns that Sri Lanka under Rajapaksa had been moving to build close relations with New Delhi’s rival, China.

Source: Voice of America