Sri Lankans elect a new president on Saturday in a 'finely balanced' r...
COLOMBO - Sri Lankans elect a new president on Saturday in a “finely balanced” race between the early favorite, former defense chief Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and government minister Sajith Premadasa, who has gained momentum in recent weeks.
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 U.N. panel says around 40,000 people were killed. 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.
Initially, Rajapaksa was strongly favored but Premadasa is seen to have closed in on him in the final two weeks of the campaign, they say. “The prospect of a new Rajapaksa presidency has heightened ethnic tensions and raised fears among minorities and democratic activists,” said Alan Keenan from the International Crisis Group.About 16 million people are eligible to vote on Saturday with the ballot allowing voters to choose up to three candidates in order of preference.
One of the challenges the new president will face is to service Sri Lanka’s foreign debt, which stands at 45% of its gross domestic product.
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