In a big jolt to Mahinda Rajapakse, joint opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena unseated former in an election that was preponed by two years expecting an easy victory. Rajapaksa lost to his former health minister, who earned over 51 percent of the votes cast in Thursday’s presidential battle.
A stunned Rajapaksa graciously accepted the defeat and left his official residence after a brief meeting with opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe in which he assured full cooperation with the new government. A former prime minister, Rajapaksa was first elected the president in 2005, defeating Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party, and in 2010 when he defeated his former army chief Sarath Fonseka.
All the hopes of ushering in a new era faded, as Sirisena, 63, ruled out any revenge against political foes and vowed to promote Buddhism, the country’s dominant religion. He also refused any kind of international intervention in the probe of war crimes, culmination with the defeat of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
Sirisena had in the election campaign accused Rajapaksa of corruption, nepotism and promoting family rule and assured to create a just and equal society and provide good governance. After the result, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first world leader to compliment Sirisena on his “historic” win and urged him to visit India. Under his rule it is unlikely that he will many policy that would alienate the majority Singhalese and Buddhist community.