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Rajapaksa claims victory in Sri Lanka election
COLOMBO, Nov 17, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Sri Lanka’s former wartime defence
secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been elected president, his spokesman said
Sunday following a fiercely fought election seven months after Islamist
attacks killed 269 people.
The 70-year-old retired lieutenant colonel had a 48.2 percent share of the
vote with close to three million ballots counted but results from Sinhalese-
majority regions — the Rajapaksas’ core support base — were expected to
push this above 50 percent.
“We got between 53 to 54 percent,” his spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told
AFP.
“It is a clear win. We envisaged it. We are very happy that Gota will be
the next president. He will be sworn in tomorrow or the day after,”
Rambukwella said.
His younger rival, housing minister Sajith Premadasa, 52, was trailing on
45.3 percent. He had strong support in minority Tamil areas and a poor
showing in larger Sinhalese constituencies.
Election Commission chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said at least 80 percent of
the 15.99 million eligible voters participated in Saturday’s poll, which was
marred by isolated violence that left several people injured.
Rajapaksa conducted a nationalist campaign with a promise of security and a
vow to crush religious extremism in the Buddhist-majority country following
the April 21 suicide bomb attacks blamed on a homegrown jihadi group.
Three luxury hotels and three churches were targeted in the coordinated
bombings. The Islamic State too claimed responsibility for the attack which
left 45 foreigners dead.
Saturday’s poll was the first popularity test of the United National Party
(UNP) government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who stepped aside and
allowed his deputy Premadasa to stand in the election.
– Intelligence failure –
Wickremesinghe’s administration faced severe criticism for failing to
prevent the attacks despite prior warnings from an intelligence agency of
neighbouring India, according to findings of a parliamentary investigation.
Premadasa also offered better security and a pledge to make a former war
general, Sarath Fonseka, his national security chief and projected himself as
a victim seeking to crush terrorism.
He is the son of assassinated ex-president Ranasinghe Premadasa who fell
victim to a tamil rebel suicide bomber in May 1993.
Gotabaya is credited with directing security forces to crush Tamil rebels
and end a 37-year separatist war in May 2009 during the tenure of his elder
brother Mahinda, who was president from 2005 to 2015.
The Rajapaksas are adored by Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese majority, as well as the
powerful Buddhist clergy, for defeating Tamil Tiger separatists and ending a
37-year civil war in 2009.
But they are detested and feared by many Tamils, who make up 15 percent of
the population. The conflict ended with some 40,000 Tamil civilians allegedly
killed by the army.
Some in the Muslim community, who make up 10 percent of the population, are
also fearful of Gotabaya becoming president, having faced days of mob
violence in the wake of the April attacks.
Under his brother, Gotabaya was defence secretary and effectively ran the
security forces, allegedly overseeing “death squads” that bumped off rivals,
journalists and others. He denies the allegations.
During that time Sri Lanka also borrowed heavily from China for
infrastructure projects and even allowed two Chinese submarines to dock in
Colombo in 2014, alarming Western countries as well as India.
The projects ballooned Sri Lanka’s debts and many turned into white
elephants — such as an airport in the south devoid of airlines — mired in
corruption allegations.
China also offered Sri Lanka “international diplomatic protection” against
criticism for its rights record, analyst Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu told AFP.
The Rajapaksas “spent and spent without giving any consideration to how it
has to be paid back”.
Unlike in 2015 when there were bomb attacks and shootings, this election
was relatively peaceful by the standards of Sri Lanka’s fiery politics.
The only major incident was on Saturday when gunmen fired at two vehicles
in a convoy of at least 100 buses taking voters from the Muslim minority to
vote. Two people were injured.
After a campaign that according to the Election Commission was the worst
ever for hate speech and misinformation, final results could come by later
Sunday.
BSS/AFP/GMR/1047 hrs