Sri Lanka goes to polls today, fierce battle on the cards
COLOMBO:Sri Lankans elect a new president on Saturday in a “finely balanced” race between the early favourite, former defence chief Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and government minister Sajith Premadasa, who has gained momentum in recent weeks.
The election comes amid a deep slump in the country following Easter Sunday attacks on hotels and churches by Islamist militants that killed over 250 people and sharpened tensions between majority Sinhalese and minority Muslims.
Addded to that are long-standing grievances of ethnic Tamils, who say they are still to get justice stemming from the human rights violations during a 26-war civil war with Tamil rebels, especially at the closing stages when a UN panel says around 40,000 people were killed.
Gotabaya, who over-saw the military rout of Tamil fighters under his brother and then president Mahinda Rajapaksa, has campaigned on a platform of national security, playing on the fears of Sinhalese Buddhists following the April attacks claimed by Islamic State.
Premadasa has sought to fire up the countryside with promises of free housing, schools uniforms for students and sanitary pads for women - touching on a topic rarely discussed in public.
Both the frontrunners in a field of 35 candidates said they will seek a balance in Sri Lanka’s political and economic ties with China and India that have competed for influence in the island that sits near busy shipping lanes. However, Rajapaksa and his family are seen closer to China, which has led post-civil war reconstruction.
There are no opinion polls but political strategists in the two main campaigns, the minority parties and political analysts say the race has become much closer in recent weeks.
Initially, Rajapaksa was strongly favoured but Premadasa is seen to have closed in on him in the final two weeks of the campaign, they say.