ID :
103035
Thu, 01/28/2010 - 07:32
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/103035
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RAJAPAKSA SET FOR LANDSLIDE VICTORY IN RE-ELECTION
P.VIJIAN
COLOMBO, Jan 27 (Bernama) -- Sri Lanka's incumbent president Mahinda
Rajapaksa Wednesday is set to easily defeat former friend-turned-political rival
General (Rtd) Sarath Fonseka, to win the sixth presidential election.
Rajapaksa riding high after vanquishing the ruthless Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE) last May, won an overwhelming support, garnering 5.93 million
votes, released by the Election Commission so far.
While, political novice Fonseka, who mastermind the war victory failed at
the
ballot box, managing only about 4.11 million votes.
After almost over 85 percent of the votes counted, Rajapaksa was a clear
winner with nearly 1.8-million vote majority.
In the tightly contested poll, the first peacetime election in nearly three
decades, about 70 percent of the 14 million Sri Lankans cast their votes, in a
free and fair election, as observers put it.
Taking advantage of his popularity after the war victory, Rajapaksa called
for the election two years earlier before his term expires, a move that
eventually paid dividends today, but was slightly rattled by his unexpected
opponent.
Fonseka's opposition United National Party (UNP) failed to capitalise on
allegations of rampant corruption, nepotism and abuse of power in Rajapaksa's
administration, to rout out the unflinching Rajapaksa, who lead the United
People's Freedom Party (UPFP).
Though there was increasing ground swell favouring Fonseka in recent weeks,
who promised to abolish the executive president's power and bring major
political reforms to the nation that is badly yearning for peace and stability,
it did not reflect at the ballot box.
Besides, the Tamils votes from the war-ravaged north, the heartland of
Tamils, which were expected to shift the power-balance in favour of UNP, was
also disappointing, as observers say, since only 20 percent of them voted.
At least 80,000 displaced Tamils are still languishing in camps in the north
since the civil war ended and out of which at least 60,000 were eligible to
vote. But many were unable to cast their ballots.
The Colombo-based Campaign for Free and Fair Elections said the bomb blasts
in Jaffna on the morning of polling day and the lack of transport for displaced
people prevented many voters from coming in large numbers, but summed it up as
a fair election compared to previous years.
No major poll violence was reported in the country as the results were
rolled
in today, although there were fears of rising political tension past few days,
neither was there any jubilation in the city.
In latest incident, two people were reported killed today, in central Sri
Lanka, in a grenade attack on a Buddhist temple, but police are yet to confirm
it was election related violence.
Since campaign started two months ago, about 800 poll-related violence were
reported nationwide, with four deaths.
--BERNAMA
COLOMBO, Jan 27 (Bernama) -- Sri Lanka's incumbent president Mahinda
Rajapaksa Wednesday is set to easily defeat former friend-turned-political rival
General (Rtd) Sarath Fonseka, to win the sixth presidential election.
Rajapaksa riding high after vanquishing the ruthless Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE) last May, won an overwhelming support, garnering 5.93 million
votes, released by the Election Commission so far.
While, political novice Fonseka, who mastermind the war victory failed at
the
ballot box, managing only about 4.11 million votes.
After almost over 85 percent of the votes counted, Rajapaksa was a clear
winner with nearly 1.8-million vote majority.
In the tightly contested poll, the first peacetime election in nearly three
decades, about 70 percent of the 14 million Sri Lankans cast their votes, in a
free and fair election, as observers put it.
Taking advantage of his popularity after the war victory, Rajapaksa called
for the election two years earlier before his term expires, a move that
eventually paid dividends today, but was slightly rattled by his unexpected
opponent.
Fonseka's opposition United National Party (UNP) failed to capitalise on
allegations of rampant corruption, nepotism and abuse of power in Rajapaksa's
administration, to rout out the unflinching Rajapaksa, who lead the United
People's Freedom Party (UPFP).
Though there was increasing ground swell favouring Fonseka in recent weeks,
who promised to abolish the executive president's power and bring major
political reforms to the nation that is badly yearning for peace and stability,
it did not reflect at the ballot box.
Besides, the Tamils votes from the war-ravaged north, the heartland of
Tamils, which were expected to shift the power-balance in favour of UNP, was
also disappointing, as observers say, since only 20 percent of them voted.
At least 80,000 displaced Tamils are still languishing in camps in the north
since the civil war ended and out of which at least 60,000 were eligible to
vote. But many were unable to cast their ballots.
The Colombo-based Campaign for Free and Fair Elections said the bomb blasts
in Jaffna on the morning of polling day and the lack of transport for displaced
people prevented many voters from coming in large numbers, but summed it up as
a fair election compared to previous years.
No major poll violence was reported in the country as the results were
rolled
in today, although there were fears of rising political tension past few days,
neither was there any jubilation in the city.
In latest incident, two people were reported killed today, in central Sri
Lanka, in a grenade attack on a Buddhist temple, but police are yet to confirm
it was election related violence.
Since campaign started two months ago, about 800 poll-related violence were
reported nationwide, with four deaths.
--BERNAMA
