Sri Lanka – Presidential poll

Sri Lanka’s presidential election is taking place today. The incumbent is Mahinda Rajapaksa, who represents the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, which is part of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA). President Rajapaksa’s term was due to expire in 2001, but he called an early election in the wake of the defeat of the Tamil Tigers in May 2009.

President Rajapaksa’s main opponent is a former general, Sarath Fonseka, who is seen as being militarily responsible for the defeat of the Tamil Tigers. Originally, Rajapaksa and Fonseka were allies, but they fell out after the end of the conflict. In November General Fonseka resigned his commission and announced his candidacy. He is running under the guise of the New Democratic Front, which is a new party, or grouping, that brings together the two main parties opposed to the UPFA, namely the right-wing United National Party and the leftist Janathā Vimukthi Peramuṇa.

It is difficult to tell how reliable the polls are, but Asia Times, in a really excellent synopsis, says that the result is too close to call. However, the Sunday Leader newspaper in Sri Lanka reported the results of a poll, which was based on a sample of nearly 9,000 people and which showed that Sarath Fonseka would win 56.4% and that Mahinda Rajapaksa would win 41.1%. Part of the reason for Fonseka’s support, as reported by Asia Times, is that he has won the endorsement of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which was formerly the mouthpiece of the Tamil Tigers.

There has already been some violence in the run up to the election and the result, whichever way it goes, looks likely to be very divisive.

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