Sri Lankan election - The tighter the race, the more violent it threatens to be With President Mahinda Rajapaksas popularity fading, many expect Sri Lankas presidential election to be a tight race. But with the increased competition comes a great risk of violence, as analyst Alan Keenan tells DW. Nearly two years ahead of schedule, Sri Lanka will go to the polls on January 8, with Rajapaksa set to run for a third term - a move widely seen as an attempt by the President to seek a fresh six-year mandate amid signs of fading popularity. Rajapaksa, who first came to power in 2005, scrapped the two-term limit on the presidency soon after winning re-election in 2010. The 68-year-old, whose administration has been accused of corruption and nepotism, is under intense international pressure to probe war crimes allegations and promote reconciliation with the countrys Tamil minority following a decades-long civil war. The Sri Lankan leader will be contesting the poll with 18 other candidates, including his former health minister, Maithripala Sirisena. Backed by the main opposition United National Party, Sirisena has vowed to abolish the presidents executive powers and strengthen Parliament and the judiciary. Alan Keenan, Sri Lanka analyst at the International Crisis Group (ICG), says in a DW interview that with many indications that the race will be close, fears are growing in Sri Lanka that President Rajapaksa and his powerful brothers may resist leaving power even if Sirisena receives a majority of the votes. Full Article at the Link Below:
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 04:54:25 +0000