A record 35 candidates vie for Sri Lanka’s presidency
A record 35 candidates filed nominations Monday for next month’s Sri Lankan presidential election, but the incumbent has opted not to seek a second term with the entry of popular former defense chief Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who is considered the favorite.
Rajapaksa, who served as defense chief under his brother and then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is popular for his part in ending Sri Lanka’s long civil war a decade ago.
President Maithripala Sirisena, who likely would have had difficulty beating Rajapaksa, did not pay a mandatory deposit by a Sunday deadline and became ineligible to file a nomination. Rajapaksa represents a breakaway party of Sirisena’s and has the loyalty of a majority from Sirisena’s party.
A record 41 aspirants paid deposits before the deadline, but six of them pulled out of the race. The Election Commission opened a two-hour period for nominations Monday.
Still, the 35 candidates are the most to contest a presidential election in the Indian Ocean island nation. The previous high was 22 candidates in 2010.
Rajapaksa’s main rival will be Sajith Premadasa, from the governing coalition. He is a son of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa, who was assassinated in 1993 by the Tamil Tiger rebels. The rebels were eventually defeated in the civil war.
Among the presidential candidates are two Buddhist monks, four people from the country’s minority Muslim community and two from the Tamil community. There is only one female candidate.
(AP)
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Why was the Modadas*’s nomination accepted by EC?
Surely, the EC has the responsibility to prevent a Modaya from ascending the throne !
Hizbullah is much worse, and he is a candidate. What happened in the Eastern Province? Arabic style uni, date palms and Arabic sign boards
( camels shortly after?).
Millions taken from accounts that were supposed to be frozen in investigations. Hizbullah stated he knew about Zahran, but was promised his followers’ votes. The list of nefarious activities surrounding this man is long. Yet, he thinks he can be president!
Fantastic. Some money to the bankrupt treasury.
most of these candidates are here not for the purpose of winning but for the purpose of Breaking votes a new tactic by the main politicians
Evenn the UNP’s M*dadasa is there to satisfy BB Jalani (First Lady).