HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Presidential elections were held in
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
on 8 January 2015, two years ahead of schedule. The incumbent
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Mahinda Rajapaksa Mahinda Rajapaksa ( si, මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ, ta, மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஷ; born Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa; 18 November 1945) is a Sri Lankan politician. He served as the President of Sri Lanka from 2005 to ...
was the
United People's Freedom Alliance The United People's Freedom Alliance ( abbreviated UPFA; si, එක්සත් ජනතා නිදහස් සන්ධානය ''Eksath Janathā Nidahas Sandānaya''; ta, ஐக்கிய மக்கள் சுதந்திரக ...
's candidate, seeking a third term in office. The
United National Party The United National Party, often abbreviated as UNP ( si, එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය, translit=Eksath Jāthika Pakshaya, ta, ஐக்கிய தேசியக் கட்சி, translit=Aikkiya Tēciyak Kaṭci), ...
(UNP)-led opposition coalition chose to field
Maithripala Sirisena Maithripala Yapa Sirisena ( si, පල්ලෙවත්‍ත ගමරාළලාගේ මෛත්‍රීපාල යාපා සිරිසේන; ta, பல்லேவத்த கமராளலாகே மைத்திரி� ...
, the former
Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental health. Coun ...
in Rajapaksa's government and general secretary of the
Sri Lanka Freedom Party The Sri Lanka Freedom Party ( si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා නිදහස් පක්ෂය, translit=Śrī Laṁkā Nidahas Pakṣaya; ta, இலங்கை சுதந்திரக் கட்சி, translit=Ilaṅkai Cutantirak Ka� ...
(SLFP) – the main constituent party of the UPFA – as its common candidate. Sirisena was declared the winner after receiving 51.28% of all votes cast compared to Rajapaksa's 47.58%. The result was generally seen as a major upset. When Rajapaksa called the election in November 2014 he had looked certain to win. On 11 January 2015 the new government announced a special investigation into allegations of an attempted coup by Rajapaksa.


Timeline

;2014 * 20 October: Minister of Mass Media and Information
Keheliya Rambukwella Keheliya Rambukwella ( Sinhala:, Tamil:; born 21 September 1954) is a Sri Lankan politician. Who is serving as the current Minister of Water Supply and Drainage and Minister of Health of Sri Lanka Since May 2022. He is the former Minister of M ...
confirmed that the election would be held in January 2015. *5 November: Rajapaksa sought the Supreme Court's opinion on whether he could stand for re-election. * 20 November: Rajapaksa issued a proclamation calling for a presidential election at which he would seek re-election. * 21 November: Sri Lanka Freedom Party general secretary
Maithripala Sirisena Maithripala Yapa Sirisena ( si, පල්ලෙවත්‍ත ගමරාළලාගේ මෛත්‍රීපාල යාපා සිරිසේන; ta, பல்லேவத்த கமராளலாகே மைத்திரி� ...
defects to the opposition and announces he would run against
Mahinda Rajapaksa Mahinda Rajapaksa ( si, මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ, ta, மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஷ; born Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa; 18 November 1945) is a Sri Lankan politician. He served as the President of Sri Lanka from 2005 to ...
in the coming election. Election commissioner
Mahinda Deshapriya Waduge Warunasiri Mahinda Deshapriya ( si, මහින්ද දේශප්රිය) is a former Chairman of Election Commission of Sri Lanka. On 30 November 2019, he informed the speaker of parliament that he would resign from the post and t ...
announces that nominations would be taken on 8 December 2014 and that the election would be held on 8 January 2015. * 8 December: Nominations period opens by the Elections Department on 8 December 2014, all of which were accepted. * 23–24 December: Postal voting held begins for two days. ;2015 * 8 January: Election day. Polling stations opened at 07:00 (01:30 UTC) and closed at 16:00 (10:30 UTC). * 9 January: Rajapaksa concedes defeat ahead of the final result * 9 January: Around 8:06 (2:36 UTC) Election commissioner confirmed Maithripala Sirisena as the new elected president. * 9 January: Maithripala Sirsena is sworn in as Sri Lanka's sixth executive president, and seventh overall, before Supreme Court judge
K. Sripavan Justice Kanagasabapathy J. Sripavan ( ta, கனகசபாபதி சிறீபவன் ''Kaṉakacapāpati Ciṟīpavaṉ'', si, කනකසපාපති ශ්‍රීපවන් ; born 29 February 1952) is a Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer ...
in
Independence Square, Colombo Independence Memorial Hall (also known as ''Independence Commemoration Hall'') is a national monument in Sri Lanka built for commemoration of the independence of Sri Lanka from the British rule with the restoration of full governing responsibil ...
at 18:20 (12:50 UTC).


Background

According to the
constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these princi ...
, the normal term of office for a president is six years, although an incumbent serving a second term may call an election at any time after four years in office. In November 2009, buoyed by the government's defeat of the rebel
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE; ta, தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள், translit=Tamiḻīḻa viṭutalaip pulikaḷ, si, දෙමළ ඊළාම් විමුක්ති කොටි, t ...
in May 2009, incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa called an early presidential election. In the
elections An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated ...
held in January 2010 Rajapaksa secured a second term in office, defeating common opposition candidate
Sarath Fonseka Field Marshal Gardihewa Sarath Chandralal Fonseka ( si, ගාර්දිහේවා සරත් චන්ද්‍රලාල් ෆොන්සේකා, ta, சரத் பொன்சேகா; born 18 December 1950), commonly know ...
. In February 2010 the
Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
ruled that Rajapaksa's second term would begin in November 2010, and was accordingly sworn in on 19 November 2010. In September 2010
Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
, which was controlled by Rajapaksa's UPFA, passed the eighteenth amendment to the constitution, removing the two
term limit A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potenti ...
on presidents, allowing Rajapaksa to run for a third term. There was speculation in mid-2014 that Rajapaksa would call another early presidential election: on 20 October 2014 Minister of Mass Media and Information
Keheliya Rambukwella Keheliya Rambukwella ( Sinhala:, Tamil:; born 21 September 1954) is a Sri Lankan politician. Who is serving as the current Minister of Water Supply and Drainage and Minister of Health of Sri Lanka Since May 2022. He is the former Minister of M ...
confirmed that the election would be held in January 2015. Critics of Rajapaksa, including the Bar Association and former Chief Justice
Sarath N. Silva Sarath Nanda Silva PC served as the 41st Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. He obtained his Primary and Secondary school education at Trinity College Kandy and continued to Sri Lanka Law College. Prior to civil service, his achi ...
, claimed that he could not stand for re-election as he had won his second term before the eighteenth amendment to the constitution had been passed. In early November 2014 Rajapaksa sought the Supreme Court's opinion on whether he could stand for re-election. The court ruled that Rajapaksa could stand for re-election. The independence of the Supreme Court has been questioned since the UPFA
impeached Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In ...
former Chief Justice
Shirani Bandaranayake Upatissa Atapattu Bandaranayake Wasala Mudiyanse Ralahamilage Shirani Anshumala Bandaranayake (known as Shirani Bandaranayake; born April 1958) served as the 43rd Chief Justice of Sri Lanka. Although a qualified lawyer, she has never practiced la ...
, allowing Rajapaksa to appoint an ally and legal adviser, former
Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
Mohan Peiris Peter Mohan Maithree Peiris, PC is a Sri Lankan lawyer who served as the Attorney General of Sri Lanka from 2008 to 2011 and was the ''de facto'' Chief Justice of Sri Lanka from 2013 to 2015 when President Maithripala Sirisena declared his appo ...
, as Chief Justice. On 20 November 2014 Rajapaksa issued a proclamation calling for a presidential election at which he would seek re-election. The following day election commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya announced that nominations would be taken on 8 December 2014 and that the election would be held on 8 January 2015. 15,044,490 Sri Lankans were eligible to vote at the election. Postal voting was held on 23 and 24 December 2014. Foreign monitors were invited to observe the election but not from the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...
.


Electoral system

The Sri Lankan president is elected using a form of
instant-runoff voting Instant-runoff voting (IRV) is a type of ranked preferential voting method. It uses a majority voting rule in single-winner elections where there are more than two candidates. It is commonly referred to as ranked-choice voting (RCV) in the U ...
. Voters can rank up to three candidates, and if no candidate wins a majority in the first round of voting, second and third preferences from ballots whose first preference candidate has been eliminated are used to determine the winner. There are 12,314 polling stations in the 22
electoral districts An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other poli ...
.


Concurrent events

;Papal visit The election had caused uncertainty over the planned visit of
Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
to Sri Lanka, due to take place from 13 to 15 January 2015. Prior to the election being called the
Catholic Church in Sri Lanka The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the pope in Rome. The country comes under the province of Colombo and is made up of 12 dioceses including one archdiocese. There are appr ...
had urged all sides not to politicise the papal visit. After the election had been called posters appeared showing the Pope blessing Rajapaksa. The Catholic church has condemned the posters and called for their removal. ;2014–15 floods In the last two weeks of December 2014 central, eastern and northern Sri Lanka were hit by the worst floods since 1956, resulting in several deaths and the displacement of over one million people. Some local election monitoring groups have expressed concern that the displaced may not be able to vote at the election. The Election Commissioner has however said that no candidate, their representative or lawyers had complained and that there was no reason to postpone the election.


Candidates

Nineteen nominations were received from by the Elections Department on 8 December 2014, all of which were accepted. Seventeen candidates were from registered political parties and two were independents.


Mahinda Rajapaksa

The incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa will contest as the UPFA candidate, seeking an unprecedented third term. He has also received the backing of a number of small constituent parties of the UPFA including the
Ceylon Workers' Congress The Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) ( ta, இலங்கை தொழிலாளர் காங்கிரஸ், translit=Ilaṅkai Toḻilāḷar Kāṅkiras; si, ලංකා කම්කරු කොංග්‍රසය ''Lanka Kamkaru ...
,
Communist Party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of '' The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ...
,
Lanka Sama Samaja Party The Lanka Sama Samaja Party, often abbreviated as LSSP ( literally: Lanka Socialist Party, Sinhala: ලංකා සම සමාජ පක්ෂය, Tamil: லங்கா சமசமாஜக் கட்சி), is a major Trotskyist politic ...
(LSSP),
National Freedom Front The Jathika Nidahas Peramuna (JNP) or ''National Freedom Front'' (NFF) is a political party in Sri Lanka was formed by the ten JVP parliamentarians led by Wimal Weerawansa, the breakaway group of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP, started their pol ...
, National Union of Workers and the
Up-Country People's Front The Up-Country People's Front is a political party in Sri Lanka. It is part of the Tamil Progressive Alliance. History The party was established in 1989. At the last legislative elections An election is a formal group decision-makin ...
. On nomination day, 8 December 2014, two opposition MPs,
Tissa Attanayake Attanayake Mudiyanselage Kudabanda Tissa Attanayake is a Sri Lankan politician, who is a National List member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. He was first elected to parliament in 1989. Former general secretary of United National Party, Attanayak ...
and
Jayantha Ketagoda Jayantha Ketagoda is a Sri Lankan actor and a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. He belongs to the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna. References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ketagoda, Jayantha Candidates in the 2019 Sri Lankan presidential election ...
, defected to the government to support Rajapaksa. Attanayake was later appointed Minister of Health — the post previously held by Sirisena. Rajapaksa has also received the support of the Buddhist extremist
Bodu Bala Sena Bodu Bala Sena, (, abbreviated BBS) is a Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist and extreme nationalist organisation, which is a break-away organisation from the right-wing nationalist Jathika Hela Urumaya organisation. The BBS generally opposes pl ...
. However, the
Jathika Hela Urumaya The Jathika Hela Urumaya ( si, ජාතික හෙළ උරුමය, ta, ஈழ மக்கள் கழகம், often approximated in English as National Heritage Party) is a nationalist political party in Sri Lanka. The JHU was launched ...
(JHU) withdrew from UPFA government on 18 November 2014 citing Rajapaksa's refusal to reform the
executive presidency An executive president is the head of state who exercises authority over the governance of that state, and can be found in presidential, semi-presidential, and parliamentary systems. They contrast with figurehead presidents, common in most parlia ...
and enact reforms to promote accountability. After much hesitation the
All Ceylon Muslim Congress The All Ceylon Makkal Congress ( ta, அகில இலங்கை மக்கள் காங்கிரஸ், translit=Akila Ilaṅkai Makkaḷ Kāṅkiras; si, සමස්ත ලංකා මහජන කොංග්‍රසය ''Samasta ...
and
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress ( ta, சிறீலங்கா முஸ்லீம் காங்கிரஸ், translit=Srīlaṅkā Muslīm Kāṅkiras; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා මුස්ලිම් කොංග්‍රස� ...
also withdrew from the UPFA government, on 22 and 28 December 2014 respectively, blaming the government's failure to protect Sri Lankan Muslims from Sinhalese Buddhist extremists. Rajapaksa released his manifesto, titled ''Mahinda's Vision — The World Winning Path'', on 23 December 2014 at the
Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall The Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), ( si, බණ්ඩාරනායක ජාත්‍යාන්තර සම්මන්ත්‍රණ ශාලාව ta, பண்டாரநாயக்க சர்வத� ...
. The manifesto pledges to introduce a new constitution within one year of being elected but the executive presidency won't be abolished — it will be amended and the "weakness" in the parliamentary system eliminated. A naval force and a special security force will be set up, with the help of the
army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
, to tackle
drug trafficking A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalati ...
and other
organised crime Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...
. The manifesto also pledges to establish a transparent, judicial inquiry into the
alleged war crimes during the final stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War There were war crimes and crimes against humanity that were committed by the Sri Lankan military and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Tamil Tigers - LTTE) during the Sri Lankan Civil War, particularly during the final months of the ...
but Rajapaksa has refused to co-operate with UN investigation.


Maithripala Sirisena

In the run up to the election being called several names had been suggested for nomination as the common opposition candidate: former president
Chandrika Kumaratunga Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga ( si, චන්ද්‍රිකා බණ්ඩාරනායක කුමාරතුංග, ta, சந்திரிகா பண்டாரநாயக்க குமாரதுங்க; born 29 Ju ...
, UNP leader
Ranil Wickremesinghe Ranil Wickremesinghe ( si, රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ, ta, ரணில் விக்கிரமசிங்க; born 24 March 1949) is a Sri Lankan politician who is the current president of Sri Lanka since 21 July 2 ...
, UNP Leadership Council Chairman
Karu Jayasuriya Deshabandu Karu Jayasuriya, MP ( si, කරු ජයසුරිය, ta, கரு ஜயசூரிய; born 29 September 1940) is a Sri Lankan politician. He was the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. Previously he was Mayor of Colom ...
, former Chief Justice
Shirani Bandaranayake Upatissa Atapattu Bandaranayake Wasala Mudiyanse Ralahamilage Shirani Anshumala Bandaranayake (known as Shirani Bandaranayake; born April 1958) served as the 43rd Chief Justice of Sri Lanka. Although a qualified lawyer, she has never practiced la ...
and leader of the National Movement for Social Justice
Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero ( si, මාදුළුවාවේ සෝභිත හිමි; 29 May 1942 – 6 November 2015) was an influential Sinhalese Buddhist monk regarded for his nonviolent revolutionary leadership in Sri Lanka and the chi ...
. However, on 21 November 2014, after the election had been called,
Maithripala Sirisena Maithripala Yapa Sirisena ( si, පල්ලෙවත්‍ත ගමරාළලාගේ මෛත්‍රීපාල යාපා සිරිසේන; ta, பல்லேவத்த கமராளலாகே மைத்திரி� ...
, was revealed as the common opposition candidate by the UNP. Sirisena had been Minister of Health in Rajapaksa's government and general secretary of the SLFP before defecting to the opposition coalition. Sirisena immediately received the support of former president Chandrika Kumaratunga and several UPFA MPs that had defected alongside him (
Duminda Dissanayake Duminda Dissanayake (born 28 March 1979), MP, is the current Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister of the Ministry of Irrigation, former Minister of Agriculture, deputy minister of Youth Affairs and Skills Development and a Member of Parliament from th ...
,
M. K. D. S. Gunawardena Munasinghe Kariyawasam Appuhamilage Don Somadasa Gunawardana (6 March 1947 – 19 January 2016) was a Sri Lankan politician and a former member of Parliament and government minister. Early life Gunawardana was born 6 March 1947. He was educated a ...
,
Wasantha Senanayake Vasantha Senanayake (born 28 June 1973) is a Sri Lankan politician who was a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. He belongs to the United National Party. He is a great grandson of D. S. Senanayake (Sri Lanka's "Father of the Nation") and cou ...
,
Rajitha Senaratne Nambukara Helambage Rajitha Harischandra Senaratne (born 29 May 1950) is a Sri Lankan dentist, politician, member of parliament and former cabinet minister. He is currently a member of parliament representing Kalutara district Early life and fam ...
,
Rajiva Wijesinha Rajiva Wijesinha, MA, DPhil ( Sinhala: රජීව විජේසිංහ) (born 16 May 1954) is a Sri Lankan writer in English, distinguished for his political analysis as well as creative and critical work. An academic by profession for m ...
). Sirisena and the other UPFA MPs were stripped of their ministerial positions and expelled from the SLFP. On 30 November minister
Navin Dissanayake Navin Eranjan Dissanayake (born 9 September 1969) is a Sri Lankan politician, and former Minister of Plantation Industries. A former Member of Parliament for United National Party Nuwara Eliya District, he is a son of Gamini Dissanayake a Presi ...
resigned from the UPFA government and defected to the opposition to support Sirisena. Two deputy ministers,
Palani Digambaran Palani ( or ''Palni'' as in British records, is a town and a taluk headquarters in Dindigul district of the western part of Tamil Nadu state in India. It is located about south-east of Coimbatore and north-west of Madurai, from Kodaikanal ...
and
Velusami Radhakrishnan Akandhan Velusami Radhakrishnan ( ta, அகண்டன் வேலுசாமி இராதாகிருஷ்ணன்; born 1 August 1952) is a Sri Lankan politician and state minister. He is the leader of the Up-Country People's Front ...
, resigned from the UPFA government on 10 December 2014 to support Sirisena. Two other deputy ministers,
Faiszer Musthapha Mohamed Faiszer Musthapha, PC, MP is a Sri Lankan lawyer and a politician. He was the Minister of Sports and Provincial Councils and Local Government and a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. Faiszer Musthapha is married to Fathima Rifa who i ...
and
Nandimithra Ekanayake Mahinda Nandimithra Ekanayake (born 26 December 1943 in Handala, Wattala) is a Sri Lankan politician. Early career Prior to entering politics in 1989, he held a number of positions with the Rural Development Department. At the age of 21, he ...
, resigned from the UPFA government, on 31 December 2014 and 1 January 2015 respectively, to support Sirisena. Sirisena received the support of UPFA MP
Achala Jagodage Achala Jagodage (born ) is a Sri Lankan politician and a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka The Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා පාර්ලිමේන්තුව ''S ...
on 2 January 2015. Sirisena has pledged to abolish the executive presidency within 100 days of being elected, repeal the controversial eighteenth amendment, re-instate the seventeenth amendment and appoint UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe as
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is n ...
. On 1 December 2014 Sirisena signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with 36 opposition parties/civic groups promising to abolish the executive presidency, hold parliamentary elections, form an all-party national government and carry out various political reforms. Signatories to the MOU include the UNP, Sarath Fonseka's
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa * Botswana Democratic Party * Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *De ...
,
Democratic People's Front The Western People's Front, currently named the Democratic People's Front ( ta, ஜனநாயக மக்கள் முன்னணி, translit=Jaṉanāyaka Makkaḷ Muṉṉaṇi; si, ප්රජාතන්ත්රවාදී ජන ...
,
Azath Salley Mohamed Azath Sanoon Salley ( si, මොහොමඩ් අසාත් සනූන් සාලි) (born 18 September 1963) is a Sri Lankan politician and the eighth Governor of the Western Province. Salley was the deputy mayor of Colombo ...
's Muslim Tamil National Alliance,
Free Media Movement The Free Media Movement (FMM) is a media freedom watchdog organization of journalists from Sri Lanka. It evolved out of the standing committee of journalists, which was formed in late 1991. The standing committee was formed by a group of journalist ...
, Federation of University Teachers Association as well as dissident groups of the LSSP and Communist Party. The following day the JHU announced that it was supporting Sirisena in the presidential election. On 30 December 2014 the
Tamil National Alliance The Tamil National Alliance ( ta, தமிழ்த் தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பு ISO 15919: ''tamiḻt tēciyakkūṭṭamaippu''; TNA) is a political alliance in Sri Lanka that represents the country's Sri Lankan ...
, the largest political party representing the
Sri Lankan Tamil people Sri Lankan Tamils ( or ), also known as Ceylon Tamils or Eelam Tamils, are Tamils native to the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka. Today, they constitute a majority in the Northern Province, live in significant numbers in the Eastern Pro ...
, endorsed Sirisena. Sirisena is to contest as the New Democratic Front (NDF) candidate under its swan symbol. Common opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka contested the 2010 presidential election as a NDF candidate under its swan symbol. Sirisena released his manifesto, titled ''A Compassionate Maithri Governance — A Stable Country'', on 19 December 2014 at a rally at
Viharamahadevi Park Viharamahadevi Park ( si, විහාරමහාදේවී උද්‍යානය; formerly Victoria Park, si, වික්ටෝරියා පාක්) is a public park located in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, situated in front of the colo ...
. The main pledge in the manifesto is the replacement of the executive presidency with a Westminster style cabinet but the manifesto acknowledges that Sirisena would need the support of the parliament to amend the constitution. The manifesto also makes a commitment to replace the
open list Open list describes any variant of party-list proportional representation where voters have at least some influence on the order in which a party's candidates are elected. This is as opposed to closed list, which allows only active members, part ...
proportional representation system Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...
with a mixture of
first-past-the-post In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast their ...
and PR for electing MPs. Parliamentary elections will be held in April 2015 after the constitution has been amended. Independent commissions will be established to oversee the judiciary, police, elections department, Auditor-General's Department and Attorney-General's Department. The Commission on Bribery and Corruption will be strengthened and political diplomatic appointments annulled. Populist measures in the manifesto include a commitment to write-off 50% of farmers' loans, reduce fuel prices by removing taxes and a salary increase of Rs.10,000 for public servants. Public spending on health would increase from 1.8% of GDP to 3% of GDP whilst that on education would increase from 1.7% of GDP to 6% of GDP. The manifesto also states that the casino licences granted to
Kerry Packer Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer (17 December 1937 – 26 December 2005) was an Australian media tycoon, and was considered one of Australia's most powerful media proprietors of the twentieth century. The Packer family company owned a controllin ...
's Crown Resort and
John Keells Holdings John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH) is one of the largest conglomerate companies in Sri Lanka. From managing hotels and resorts in Sri Lanka and the Maldives to providing port, marine fuel and logistics services to IT solutions, manufacturing of foo ...
's Water Front will be cancelled. Political victims during Rajapaks's rule, including Sarath Fonseka and Shirani Bandaranayake, would be re-appointed. In a separate document Sirisena has pledged that, whilst resisting any international investigation, he would establish an independent domestic inquiry into the alleged war crimes during the final stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War.


Minor candidates

The remaining seventeen candidates are from minor political parties or independents. * Wimal Geeganage, Sri Lanka National Front (Rajapaksa dummy candidate) * Aithurus M. Illias, Independent *
Siritunga Jayasuriya Siritunga Jayasuriya was a contestant in the Sri Lanka presidential election in 2005. He received 35,405 votes, 0.36% of the votes cast and came third. He is a trade unionist and leader of the United Socialist Party. He was formerly a member of t ...
, United Socialist Party * Jayantha Kulathunga, United Lanka Great Council (Rajapaksa dummy candidate) *
A. S. P. Liyanage Panagoda Don Prince Solomon Anura Liyanage ( A.S.P. Liyanage) is a Sri Lankan businessman, television and film producer, and diplomat. On 10 March 2017, he was appointed as the Sri Lankan ambassador for Qatar. Liyanage received his education at ...
,
Sri Lanka Labour Party The Sri Lanka Labour Party ( si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා කම්කරු පක්ෂය) is a political party which is led by A.S.P.Liyanage. The secretary is Miss P.D.K.K.P.Liyanage. The official logo is a kangaroo. References {{Sri L ...
(Rajapaksa dummy candidate) * Sundaram Mahendran,
Nava Sama Samaja Party The Nava Sama Samaja Pakshaya (''New Equal Society Party'') is a Trotskyist political party in Sri Lanka. It was formed through the expulsion from the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) of the Vama Samsamja tendency led by Dr Vickrambahu (Bahu), Suman ...
(Sirisena dummy candidate) * Sarath Manamendra,
New Sinhala Heritage New Sinhala Heritage ( si, Nava Sihala Urumaya) is a Sri Lankan political party founded in 2006 by former United National Party member Sarath Manamendra. The party became a member of the UNP-led United National Front in November 2009. In the Ja ...
(announced on 30 December 2014 that he would support Rajapaksa) * Maulawi Ibrahim Mohanmed Mishlar, United Peace Front * Duminda Nagamuwa,
Frontline Socialist Party The Frontline Socialist Party is a communist party in Sri Lanka. It was launched on 9 April 2012 by dissident members of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna. The Frontline Socialist Party (FLSP) was launched at the First Convention held on 9 April 201 ...
* Ruwanthileke Peduru, United Lanka People's Party * Anurudha Polgampola, Independent * Prasanna Priyankara, Democratic National Movement * Namal Ajith Rajapaksa, Our National Front * Battaramulle Seelarathana, Jana Setha Peramuna * Ratnayake Arachchige Sirisena, Patriotic National Front * Muthu Bandara Theminimulla, All Are Citizens, All Are Kings Organisation * Pani Wijesiriwardene, Socialist Equality Party Some of the minor candidates are "dummy candidates" who have been fielded by the two main candidates so that they may obtain maximum benefits of being a candidate, such as free slots on state television, two agents at every polling booth and assigning counting agents.


Conduct

This election, like past Sri Lankan elections, has been characterised by violence, misuse of state resources and other violations of election laws. Local election monitoring groups described the violations as shameless and condemned the
police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and ...
for their inaction. The government accused some local election monitoring groups of being biased in favour of the opposition candidate and of being funded by foreign countries. The
International Crisis Group The International Crisis Group (ICG; also known as the Crisis Group) is a transnational non-profit, non-governmental organisation founded in 1995. It is a think tank, used by policymakers and academics, performing research and analysis on global ...
warned that the tighter the election, the more violent it would be and should Rajapaksa lose he may use the military or the "politically-compliant" Supreme Court to retain power. However, Rajapaksa stated that, although he expected not to lose, he would hand over power peacefully should he do so.
UN Secretary-General The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or SG) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. The role of the secretary-g ...
Ban Ki-moon Ban Ki-moon (; ; born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was his country's Minister ...
called on the Sri Lankan government to ensure "the peaceful and credible conduct" of the election.
Commonwealth Secretary-General The Commonwealth secretary-general is the head of the Commonwealth Secretariat, the central body which has served the Commonwealth of Nations since its establishment in 1965, and responsible for representing the Commonwealth publicly. The Comm ...
Kamalesh Sharma Kamalesh Sharma (born 30 September 1941) is an Indian diplomat. He was the fifth Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations from 2008 to 2016, having previously served as the High Commissioner for India in London. He has served as the ...
called for "transparency, a level playing field, and adherence to the laws and norms that govern a credible and peaceful election". The
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...
's heads of mission in Colombo issued a joint statement on 2 January 2015 calling for a "peaceful, credible and transparent" election. By 31 December 2014 the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) had recorded 1,007 incidents of election law violations of which 105 related to violence, including 19 incidents involving firearms. CaFFE has accused the police of allowing government supporters to attack the opposition. The People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) recorded 730 cases of violations by 3 January 2015 including 197 incidents of violence. The Center for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) had recorded 420 incidents between 20 November 2014 and 5 January 2015. The police had received 214 complaints up to 2 January 2015 and arrested 92 people who were all subsequently released on bail. According to analysts and opposition parties Rajapaksa was using the Sri Lankan military to depress opposition turnout, particularly amongst the Tamils in the north and east of the country. On 4 January 2015 international election monitors reported that they had received complaints of voter intimidation and that the army had set up 400 roadblocks to prevent Tamils from voting. After voting had finished election commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya declared the poll to be "peaceful" and the election to be "free and fair". However, according to CMEV some voters in the north were prevented from voting.


Election monitors

104 election monitors from the South Asian Election Monitoring Forum, South Asian Election Monitoring Association, Asian Election Monitoring Network and the
Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
arrived in Sri Lanka on 27 December 2014. Monitors from the European Election Monitoring Association are also expected to be called upon. The Election Commissioner offered six election monitoring groups the opportunity to monitor the count at only 300 of the 1,200 counting centres. After polling Commonwealth observers said the election was not fully democratic because of the inadequate electoral and legal framework and the unequal pre-electoral environment.


Violence

A Buddhist vihara in
Borella Borella is the largest suburb in Colombo, Sri Lanka represented by divisional code 8. Demographic Borella is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic area. The major ethnic communities in Borella are Sinhalese and Tamils. There are also various other ...
belonging to JHU MP
Athuraliye Rathana Thero Venerable Athuraliye Rathana Thero ( si, අතුරලියේ රතන හිමි: born 5 October 1962), is a Sri Lankan Bhikkhu politician and a member of parliament. He is the only representative from Our Power of People's Party in the c ...
was attacked on 20 November 2014, two days after the JHU left the UPFA government. On the evening of 21 November 2014 UNP member Chamila Ranasinghe was shot at Maggona in Payagala as UNP supporters celebrated the crossover of UPFA MPs to the opposition. The houses of two UNP supporters from
Madampe Madampe is a town situated in the Puttalam District, of North Western Province, Sri Lanka. Madampe is a town with historical importance which was ruled by king Thaniwallbha according to the history. There are two areas: Old town and New town whi ...
, Milton and Sudeh Priyankara, were shot at on the night of 22/23 November 2014. The office of UNP MP
M. H. A. Haleem Mohamed Hashim Abdul Haleem is a Sri Lankan politician and a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka The Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා පාර්ලිමේන්තු� ...
in
Mawilmada Mawilmada is a village in Sri Lanka. It is located within the district of Kandy in the Central Province. Education * Colombo International School of Kandy See also *List of towns in Central Province, Sri Lanka Central Province is a province ...
was shot at in the early hours of 25 November 2014. A rice truck belonging Sirisena's brother Dudley Sirisena and its crew were attacked in Marandagahamula on 29 November 2014. A group of UNP supporters were attacked by UPFA supporters in
Gelioya Gelioya ( si, ගෙළිඔය) is a town located in Udunuwara Divisional Secretariat, Kandy District, Central Province, Sri Lanka. See also *List of towns in Central Province, Sri Lanka Central Province is a province of Sri Lanka, containin ...
on the night of 30 November 2014. UPFA local councillor Shiron Fernando, who had defected to the opposition to support Sirisena, was attacked at his home in Bolewatte near
Wennappuwa Wennappuwa is a town in Puttalam District, North Western Province, Sri Lanka. It is north of Negombo. The village of Wennappuwa is mentioned in the Culavamsa as a small farming hamlet. History A church made of wattle and daub, consecrated ...
. On the morning of 17 December 2014 a stage that Sirisena had been intending to use for a rally at Wanduramba near
Galle Galle ( si, ගාල්ල, translit=Gālla; ta, காலி, translit=Kāli) (formerly Point de Galle) is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the southwestern tip, from Colombo. Galle is the provincial capital and largest city of Souther ...
was set on fire along with a vehicle by an unidentified group, and three workers installing the stage were abducted. Three suspects were arrested but were then taken from police custody by Deputy Minister
Nishantha Muthuhettigama Nishantha Muthuhettigamage is a Sri Lankan politician, a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. He belongs to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party The Sri Lanka Freedom Party ( si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා නිදහස් පක්ෂය, transl ...
. Despite an
arrest warrant An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by a judge or magistrate on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual, or the search and seizure of an individual's property. Canada Arrest warrants are issued by a ju ...
being issued for his arrest, Muthuhettigama left Sri Lanka for
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borderin ...
on 26 December 2014. He was arrested on 28 December 2014 after returning to Sri Lanka but was released the following day. The UNP's headquarters Sirikotha was attacked on 24 December 2014 by members of the Patriotic National Front and the Federation of National Organizers (FNO) resulting in over 30 injuries on both sides. The FNO is believed to be an affiliate of the
National Freedom Front The Jathika Nidahas Peramuna (JNP) or ''National Freedom Front'' (NFF) is a political party in Sri Lanka was formed by the ten JVP parliamentarians led by Wimal Weerawansa, the breakaway group of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP, started their pol ...
, a member of the UPFA government. On 20 December 2014 UPFA supporters tried to sabotage an opposition rally in
Haputale Haputale ( si, හපුතලේ; ta, ஹபுதலே) is a town of Badulla District in the Uva Province, Sri Lanka, governed by an Urban Council. The elevation is 1431 m (4695 ft) above the sea level. The area has a rich bio-diver ...
before attacking UNP supporters resulting in five injuries. A group of opposition activists were attacked on 21 December 2014 at the bus halt in
Hambantota Hambantota ( si, හම්බන්තොට, ta, அம்பாந்தோட்டை) is the main town in Hambantota District, Southern Province, Sri LankaThe prominent Malays (මැලේ) most part of the population is to be partly de ...
by government supporters led by Hambantota mayor Eraj Ravindra Fernando. Fernando was arrested the following day but released on bail on 24 December 2014. On the night of 23/24 December 2014 an unidentified group fired shots at the stage that Sirisena had been intending to use for a rally at
Kolonnawa Kolonnawa ( si, කොලොන්නාව, ta, கொலன்னாவ) is a town located on the eastern boundary of Colombo District, Western Province of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā ...
. Sirisena's election office in
Batticaloa Batticaloa ( ta, மட்டக்களப்பு, ''Maṭṭakkaḷappu''; si, මඩකලපුව, ''Maḍakalapuwa'') is a major city in the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, and its former capital. It is the administrative capital of the B ...
was attacked on the morning of 24 December 2014 by a group of around 30 unidentified people armed with firearms and petrol bombs. The house in
Beruwala Beruwala ( Sinhala:බේරුවල Tamil: பேருவளை) is a large town in Kalutara District, Western Province, Sri Lanka, governed by an Urban Council. The town covers a total area of approximately and is located on the south-west ...
that former president Chandrika Kumaratunga and provincial councillor Hirunika Premachandra, who had defected to support Sirisena, were dining in was stoned by UPFA supporters on 26 December 2014. Later that night clashes broke in Beruwala out between UPFA and UNP supporters resulting in the
Special Task Force Special Task Force may refer to: * Special Task Force (SAPS), a South African Counter-Terrorist force * Special Task Force (Sri Lanka), Sri Lankan Police Counter-Terrorist force * Special Task Force (India) In India, a Special Task Force (STF) ...
being deployed in the town the following day. Sirisena's election office in Irrakandi was attacked on the night of 27/28 December 2014. On the night of 28 December 2014 Sirisena supporters were attacked following a rally at Nidangala near
Mahiyangana Mahiyanganaya is a town situated close to the Mahaweli River in Badulla District, Uva Province of Sri Lanka. It is said that Gautama Buddha visited Mahiyanganaya on the Duruthu full moon poya day in order to settle a dispute arose between Yakkas a ...
, resulting in three injuries. A group of artists distributing leaflets for the Sirisena in Kumbukgate near
Kurunegala Kurunegala ( si, කුරුණෑගල, ta, குருணாகல்) is a major city in Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of the North Western Province and the Kurunegala District. Kurunegala was an ancient royal capital for 50 years, fr ...
were attacked by UPFA supporters on 29 December 2014 as police officers looked on. On 30 December 2014 clashes broke in
Polonnaruwa Poḷonnaruwa, ( si, පොළොන්නරුව, translit=Poḷonnaruva; ta, பொலன்னறுவை, translit=Polaṉṉaṟuvai) also referred as Pulathisipura and Vijayarajapura in ancient times, is the main town of Polonnaruwa Di ...
between two groups Buddhist monks, one supporting Rajapaksa and the other Sirisena, during which an election monitor was attacked and threatened by supporters of Deputy Minister
Siripala Gamalath Siripala Gamalath (born July 18, 1952) is a Sri Lankan politician and a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. He is a member of the United People's Freedom Alliance party and of Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and D ...
. An opposition rally on 2 January 2015 in Pelmadulla was stoned by government supporters, seriously injuring at least 20, whilst Sirisena was addressing the rally. Unidentified individuals fired shots at the house of UPFA provincial councillor Lakshman Wendaruwa, who had earlier pledged support for Sirisena, on the night of 2 January 2015, injuring a security guard. As Sirisena was leaving a rally at Aralaganwila on 3 January 2015 a group of government supporters arrived in a jeep and fired shots at the rally, injuring a bystander and damaging vehicles. On 5 January 2015 three people setting up a stage for a Sirisena rally in
Kahawatta Kahawatta ( si, කහවත්ත, ta, கஹவத்தா) is a town in the Ratnapura District, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka. It is located in the central mountains of Sri Lanka at an elevation of . The town and its surrounding area is ...
were injured when unidentified people fired shots at them. Arrest warrants were issued for three UPFA politicians, including deputy minister
Premalal Jayasekara Halkedaliya Lekamlage alias Mahawela Lekamlage Premalal Jayasekara ( si, ප්‍රේමලාල් ජයසේකර), also known by his pseudonym Choka Malli ( si, චොකා මල්ලි) is a Sri Lankan convicted murderer, politician, ...
, in connection with the shooting. One of the victims, Shantha Dodamgoda, succumbed to injuries and died on 7 January 2015. On election day, 8 January 2015, explosions were reported at three locations — Navaladi junction near
Alvai Alvai or Alvaay ( ta, அல்வாய் Alvāy) is a coastal village in Vadamaraadchi, northern Jaffna Peninsula, Tamil Eelam. It is located from the city of Jaffna or from the town of Point Pedro. Panai Munai (Point Palmyra), the norther ...
,
Nelukkulam Kalaimagal Maha Vidyalayam Nelukkulam Kalaimagal Maha Vidyalayam is a provincial school in Nelukkulam near Vavuniya, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std= ...
near
Vavuniya Vavuniya (, romanized: ''Vavuṉiyā'', , romanized: ''Vavuniyāva''). Vavuniya City is the capital of Vavuniya District in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka and the largest city in the Northern Province. The municipality is administered by Va ...
and
Beruwala Beruwala ( Sinhala:බේරුවල Tamil: பேருவளை) is a large town in Kalutara District, Western Province, Sri Lanka, governed by an Urban Council. The town covers a total area of approximately and is located on the south-west ...
. Two women were assaulted by UPFA supporters, including deputy minister
Sarana Gunawardena Bamunuarachchi Pathirannehelage Sarana Guptha Gunawardena ( si, සරණ ගුණවර්ධන) is a Sri Lankan politician, a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka The Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (Sinhala ...
, in Yatiyana.


Media abuse

On 22 November 2014,
PEO TV PEO may stand for: * Parking enforcement officer, an official who issues parking tickets * Plasma electrolytic oxidation, a surface-treatment process for metals * Polyethylene oxide, alternate name for Polyethylene glycol, a polymer * Old Persian ...
internet protocol television network (IPTV) and
Dialog TV Dialog TV (DTV) is a direct broadcast satellite pay TV service provider based in Sri Lanka. A fully owned subsidiary of Dialog Axiata PLC, Dialog TV was launched in July 2005 under the name "CBNsat". It was later renamed to Dialog TV in Februa ...
satellite television network had reportedly blocked the
Sirasa TV Sirasa TV is a digital, terrestrial television network in Sri Lanka. It is the sister channel of ' TV One' (Previously MTV Channel and MTV Sports) which was established in 1992. Sirasa TV was started in 1998 as a sister to its radio network Sira ...
from broadcasting the ''Satana'' programme which interviewed the common opposition candidate Sirisena and several other members of opposition. Tisara Samal Somaratne, a journalist for
Hiru TV Hiru TV (Sinhala: හිරු ටීවී) is No. 1 television channel in Sri Lanka, founded by Rayynor Silva (Chairman) and owned by Asia Broadcasting Corporation. Hiru TV is Sri Lanka's first and only digital television channel which has the ...
and ''Ada'' newspaper, was attacked by UPFA supporters in Eppawala on 5 December 2014 and later threatened by UPFA supporters whilst receiving hospital treatment. The 30 November 2014 edition of the ''
Ravaya Ravaya ( si, රාවය) is a Sri Lankan Sinhala newspaper published by Victor Ivan. Established in 1987, it is known for its radical political views. Ravaya was a staunch supporter of Chandrika Kumaratunga in 1994. Ravaya is an intellectuals f ...
'' newspaper contained a story claiming that the State Intelligence Service had carried out a survey which showed that the opposition candidate would win the election by 59% to 41%. The editor of the paper K. W. Janaranjana was later interrogated about the story by the
Criminal Investigation Department The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is the branch of a police force to which most plainclothes detectives belong in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth nations. A force's CID is distinct from its Special Branch (though officers of b ...
. According to ''Ravaya'', newspaper distributors had been threatened not to sell the paper. On nomination day, 8 December 2014, all English and Sinhala language newspapers in the country carried a front-page promotion of Rajapaksa's war victory whilst Tamil language newspapers carried an advertisement showing Rajapaksa re-opening the
railway line Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. The difference between the American term ''railroad'' and the international term ''railway'' (used by the International Union of Railways and English-speaking countries outside the United Sta ...
to
Jaffna Jaffna (, ) is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna District located on a peninsula of the same name. With a population of 88,138 in 2012, Jaffna is Sri Lanka's 12th mos ...
. All TV stations in Sri Lanka had planned to broadcast ''Janapathi Janahamuwa'', a programme featuring Rajapaksa, on the evening of 5 January 2015, the last legal day of campaigning, which would have prevented other candidates from having access TV. However, on 5 January 2015 the district court in Kaduwela issued an
enjoin An injunction is a legal and equitable remedy in the form of a special court order that compels a party to do or refrain from specific acts. ("The court of appeals ... has exclusive jurisdiction to enjoin, set aside, suspend (in whole or in p ...
ing order barring the stations from broadcasting the programme. Naushad Amith, a journalist working for
Wijeya Newspapers Wijeya Newspapers Limited (WNL) is a Sri Lankan media company which publishes a number of national newspapers and magazines. Formerly known as Wijeya Publications Limited, WNL was founded in 1979 by Ranjith Wijewardene, son of media mogul D. R. Wi ...
, was assaulted by government supporters in
Maligawatta Maligawatta is a suburb in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Maligawatta is located approximately 3 kilometres north-east from the centre of Colombo, Colombo Fort. The name Maligawatta is from the Sinhalese language which translates into ''garden of the palace'' ...
on 6 January 2015 as police officers stood by.


Misuse of state resources

Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) has documented incidents of state employees, including those from
Road Development Authority The Road Development Authority (commonly abbreviated as RDA); ( si, මාර්ග සංවර්ධන අධිකාරිය; ta, வீதி அபிவிருத்தி அதிகார சபை) is the premier highway authority ...
and the
Sri Lanka Civil Security Force The Department of Civil Security ( Sinhala: සිවිල් ආරක්ෂක දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව ''Sivil ārakshaka depathamentuwā''; Tamil: சிவில் பாதுகாப்பு துறை) (also kn ...
, carrying out election propaganda work for the Rajapaksa campaign. TISL has also alleged that over 1,000 buses belonging to the state-owned
Sri Lanka Transport Board The Sri Lanka Transport Board (Sinhala language, Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා ගමනාගමන මණ්ඩලය ''Shri Lanka Gamanāgamana Mandalaya'')(formerly: Ceylon Transport Board, CTB) is a bus service provider in Sri Lanka. ...
had been used to transport people long distances to attend Rajapaksa rallies. TISL has complained to the Election Commissioner regarding state-owned TV stations (
Rupavahini The Sri Lanka Rūpavāhinī Corporation ( si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා රූපවාහිනී සංස්ථාව; ta, இலங்கை ரூபவாகினி கூட்டுத்தாபனம்), also known as Jathika R ...
and
Independent Television Network Independent Television Network Ltd ( si, ස්වාධීන රූපවාහිනී මාධ්‍ය ජාලය; ta, சுயாதீன தொலைக்காட்சி ஊடக வளையமைப்பு) also known a ...
(ITN)) carrying live broadcasts of Rajapaksa rallies — a violation of election laws. The Election Commissioner has asked the state broadcasters not to broadcast programmes supporting Rajapaksa. According to TISL government officials were distributing free mobile phones on behalf of the Rajapaksa campaign. The UNP has alleged that employees of the state-owned
Sri Lanka Ports Authority Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) is the state-owned operator of major commercial ports in Sri Lanka. Founded in 1979, SLPA currently operates ports in Colombo, Galle, Hambantota, Kankesanthurai, Oluvil, Point Pedro and Trincomalee. As of 31 Marc ...
are being used for election propaganda work for the Rajapaksa campaign. The Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya (a pro-UNP trade union) has alleged that more than 1,000 employees of
Colombo Port The Port of Colombo (known as Port of Kolomtota during the early 14th Century Kotte Kingdom) is the largest and busiest port in Sri Lanka and the Indian Ocean. Located in Colombo, on the southwestern shores on the Kelani River, it serves as an i ...
have been transferred to carry out election work for the Rajapaksa campaign. Government employees have been photographed by ''
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
'' putting up Rajapaksa posters on the Southern Expressway. The newspaper has also reported that several senior diplomats had been recalled to Sri Lanka to work on Rajapaksa's campaign. CaFFE has claimed that 44 prisoners from Galle Prison were used to erect the stage for a Rajapaksa rally at
Kamburupitiya Kamburupitiya is a town in the Matara District, Southern Province, Sri Lanka. It is located north of Matara at the intersection of the B356 (Kamburupitiya-Kirinda Road) and the B415 (Thihagoda-Kotapola Road). The town is situated in a wet, h ...
on 14 December 2014. CaFFE has also alleged that senior government officials are openly campaigning for Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa's manifesto launch on 23 December 2014 was broadcast live on the state-owned Rupavahini TV station. The opposition has alleged that the army is campaigning for Rajapaksa, a charge the army has denied. The army was found to have used state money to post Rajapaksa campaign propaganda to hundreds of thousands of soldiers and their families. The Sri Lankan government has denied that state resources are being used on the Rajapaksa campaign.


Results

Sirsena was declared the winner after receiving 51.28% of all votes cast compared to Rajapaksa's 47.58%. However, approximately 58% of Sinhalese voted for Rajapaksa while 84% of minority voters chose Sirisena. Turnout was 81.52%, the highest for a Sri Lankan presidential election and significantly more than the 2010 presidential election. Sirsena was the winner in 12
electoral districts An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other poli ...
whilst Rajapaksa was victorious in the remaining 10. Rajapaksa had earlier conceded defeat after meeting Wickremesinghe and assuring him of a smooth transition of power. Rajapaksa then left his official residence
Temple Trees Temple Trees is the official residence of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. It is located in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Several recent Presidents have used it as their official residence as well. History Private residence The history of ''Temple Trees' ...
. He also vacated President's House. Sirisena was sworn in as Sri Lanka's sixth executive president before Supreme Court judge
K. Sripavan Justice Kanagasabapathy J. Sripavan ( ta, கனகசபாபதி சிறீபவன் ''Kaṉakacapāpati Ciṟīpavaṉ'', si, කනකසපාපති ශ්‍රීපවන් ; born 29 February 1952) is a Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer ...
in
Independence Square, Colombo Independence Memorial Hall (also known as ''Independence Commemoration Hall'') is a national monument in Sri Lanka built for commemoration of the independence of Sri Lanka from the British rule with the restoration of full governing responsibil ...
at 6.20pm on 9 January 2015. It is custom for the president to be sworn in before the chief justice but Sirisena had refused to be sworn in before Chief Justice Peiris who had been appointed by Rajapaksa after the controversial impeachment of the previous chief justice. Immediately afterwards, Wickremesinghe was sworn in as Sri Lanka's new prime minister before Sirisena. After being sworn in Sirisena stated that he would only serve one term.


District


Maps

Sri Lankan Presidential Election 2015.png, Winners of polling divisions Wahlbezirkskarte Praesidentschaft Sri Lanka 2015.svg, Majorities according to polling divisions Wahlkreiskarte Praesidentschaft Sri Lanka 2015.svg, Majorities according to electoral districts SriLankaPresidentialElectionResults2015English.jpg, Sri Lanka Presidential Election Results 2015


Aftermath


Attempted coup

According to
Mangala Samaraweera Mangala Pinsiri Samaraweera (21 April 1956 – 24 August 2021; si, මංගල පින්සිරි සමරවීර, ta, மங்கள சமரவீர; ) was a Sri Lankan politician. He was the first openly gay politician from Sr ...
and Rajitha Senaratne, senior figures in the Sirisena campaign, Rajapaksa attempted to stage a coup in order to stay in power when it became clear he was going to lose the election. They allege that Rajapaksa and his brother
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa ( si, නන්දසේන ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ; ta, நந்தசேன கோட்டாபய ராஜபக்ஷ; born 20 June 1949) is a former Sri Lankan military ...
, the Defence Secretary, summoned Commander of the Army
Daya Ratnayake General R. M. Daya Ratnayake, WWV, RWP, RSP, USP is a former senior Sri Lanka Army officer. He was the 20th Commander of the Sri Lanka Army and is the current Secretary to the Ministry of Industries and former Chairman, Sri Lanka Ports Autho ...
,
Inspector General of Police An Inspector General of Police is a senior police officer in the police force or police service of several nations. The rank usually refers to the head of a large regional command within a police service, and in many countries refers to the most se ...
N. K. Illangakoon and
Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
Yuwanjana Wanasundera to Temple Trees at around 1am on 9 January 2015. Rajapaksa allegedly pressured the three officials to deploy troops, annul the election results and declare a
state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
but they refused. According to the ''Colombo Telegraph'' Rajapaksa also wanted to dissolve parliament. It was only then Rajapaksa decided to concede defeat and summoned Wickremesinghe to assure him of a smooth transition of power. A spokesman for Rajapaksa has denied the allegations as baseless. The army and police have also denied the allegations. The new government is to investigate the alleged coup attempt.


Departures and resignations

Central Bank A central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority is an institution that manages the currency and monetary policy of a country or monetary union, and oversees their commercial banking system. In contrast to a commercial bank, a central ba ...
governor
Ajith Nivard Cabraal Ajith Nivard Cabraal ( si, අජිත් නිවාඩ් කබ්රාල්) (born 14 December 1954) is a Sri Lankan accountant and politician who was also the 16th Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. He is also the former State ...
who had openly campaigned for Rajapaksa, resigned from his position on 9 January 2015. Minister of Foreign Employment
Dilan Perera Boddhiya Baduge Dilan Priyanjan Anslam Perera, MP (born 19 April 1962) (known as ''Dilan Perera'') is a Sri Lankan politician. Current Member of Parliament for Badulla District, he was the former State Minister of Highways, State Minister of Hous ...
also resigned. The controversial Treasury Secretary P.B. Jayasundera fled to Singapore on election day. He was replaced by Arjuna Mahendran. B.M.U.D. Basnayake was appointed Defence Secretary, replacing Rajapaksa's brother Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.
Lanka Hospitals Corporation Lanka Hospital (formerly Apollo Hospital Sri Lanka) is multi-speciality tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka and is one of the largest private hospitals in the country. It is a subsidiary of Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation. The company's previousl ...
, whose biggest shareholder is the state-owned
Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Limited, also known as Sri Lanka Insurance is the largest and strongest composite insurance provider in Sri Lanka. It is the first and only insurance company in Sri Lanka to be assigned a prime AAA- rating for Insu ...
, announced on 9 January 2015 that its chairman (Gotabhaya Rajapaksa) and vice chair person (Roshini Cabraal, wife of Ajith Nivard Cabraal) had resigned.
Basil Rajapaksa Basil Rajapaksa (born 27 April 1951) is a Sri Lankan-American politician. He is a former Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for the national list. He was also a member of the Sri Lankan Parliament from 2007 to 2015. During the perio ...
, Minister of Economic Development and another brother of Mahinda Rajapaksa, and his wife left Sri Lanka for the USA on 11 January 2015. Basil Rajapaksa holds US-Sri Lankan
dual citizenship Multiple/dual citizenship (or multiple/dual nationality) is a legal status in which a person is concurrently regarded as a national or citizen of more than one country under the laws of those countries. Conceptually, citizenship is focused on t ...
. Senior diplomats who had returned to Sri Lanka to support the Rajapaksa election campaign left the country on the same day. Two of aides of Sarath Fonseka, Major General Mahesh Senanayake and Brigadier Duminda Keppetiwalana, who had fled Sri Lanka after the 2010 presidential election, returned to Sri Lanka on 10 January 2015.
Rajpal Abeynayake Rajpal Abeynayake was the Editor in Chief of the Daily News (Sri Lanka), assuming duties in October 2012 until January 2015. He has been working as a journalist since 1984 and is an attorney-at-law. Abeynayake was a former editor of the Sunday Obs ...
and
Dinesh Weerawansa Dinesh Weerawansa (born 17 June 1966) has once again returned as editor-in-chief of the Sunday Observer from December 2019 for his second term. He held the same position for nine years from 2006 to 2015, heading the editorial operation of Sri Lank ...
, editors of the state-owned '' Daily News'' and ''
Sunday Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...
'' newspapers which had run a venomous campaign against Sirisena in the run up to the election, failed to show up for work on 9 January 2015 and had vanished. After Sirisena's victory the ''Daily News'' made an abrupt
u-turn A U-turn in driving refers to performing a 180° rotation to reverse the direction of travel. It is called a "U-turn" because the maneuver looks like the letter U. In some areas, the maneuver is illegal, while in others, it is treated as a m ...
, praising Sirisena and criticising Rajapaksa.
Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) ( si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා ගුවන් විදුලි සංස්ථාව, ''Shrī Lankā Guvan Viduli Sansthāva'', ta, இலங்கை ஒலிபரப்புக் க� ...
chairman Hudson Samarasinghe and Deputy General Manager of ITN Sudharman Radaliyagoda had fled the country according to the ''Colombo Telegraph''.
Somaratne Dissanayake , native_name_lang = sinhala , pronunciation = sōmaratna disānāyaka , birth_name = , birth_date = , birth_place = Giriulla , baptised = , nationality =Sri Lankan , other_names = Soma (Nickname) , siglum = , citizenship = , ...
, who had worked for the Rajapaksa regime before defecting to support Sirisena, was appointed chairman of the state-owned
Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation The Sri Lanka Rūpavāhinī Corporation ( si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා රූපවාහිනී සංස්ථාව; ta, இலங்கை ரூபவாகினி கூட்டுத்தாபனம்), also known as Jathika R ...
. The new administration has said that a special unit will be established to investigate large scale corruption during the Rajapaksa regime. On 10 January 2015 minister
Nimal Siripala de Silva Nilenthi Nimal Siripala de Silva MP (born 6 September 1944) is a Sri Lankan politician currently serving as the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation and former Cabinet Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation in 15th Parliament of Sri Lan ...
announced that the UPFA would support Sirisena's 100-day programme unconditionally. Addressing the nation from
Temple of the Tooth The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic or Sri Dalada Maligawa, ( si, ශ්‍රී දළදා මාළිගාව) is a Buddhist temple in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the royal palace complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy, which ho ...
the following day, Sirisena invited all political parties to join to form a
national unity government A national unity government, government of national unity (GNU), or national union government is a broad coalition government consisting of all parties (or all major parties) in the legislature, usually formed during a time of war or other nati ...
. Shortly afterwards a group of 21 SLFP MPs pledged their support for Sirisena. According to Sirisena's team has enough support in parliament to secure a majority.


International reaction

; Supranational bodies * –
Secretary-General Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...
Ban Ki-moon Ban Ki-moon (; ; born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was his country's Minister ...
issued a statement on 9 January 2015 congratulating the Sri Lankan people "on the successful conclusion of the presidential election", singling out the election commission for its "professionalism", saying that he looked forward to working with Sirisena but re-iterating his support for development, reconciliation, political dialogue and accountability. *  – Foreign Affairs High Representative
Federica Mogherini Federica Mogherini (; born 16 June 1973) is an Italian politician who served as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission from 2014 to 2019. She previously served as I ...
issued a statement on 9 January 2015 congratulating Sirisena, saying that the "EU looks forward to working with him to further develop its relations with Sri Lanka". ; Nations * –
Minister for Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...
Julie Bishop Julie Isabel Bishop (born 17 July 1956) is an Australian former politician who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2013 to 2018 and deputy leader of the Liberal Party from 2007 to 2018. She was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Curti ...
issued a statement on 10 January 2015 congratulating Sri Lankans on a peaceful and orderly election and pledging to support Sirisena as he implements democratic reform, good governance and anti-corruption measures. Later
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is n ...
Tony Abbott Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is a former Australian politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. Abbott was born in Londo ...
telephoned Sirisena to congratulate him and emphasising "continuing cooperation" between the countries on
people smuggling People smuggling (also called human smuggling), under U.S. law, is "the facilitation, transportation, attempted transportation or illegal entry of a person or persons across an international border, in violation of one or more countries' laws, ei ...
. * – At a regular press conference on 9 January 2015
Foreign Ministry In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...
spokesman Hong Lei congratulated Sirisena, saying that China expected "new strides made by the Sri Lankan government and people on their course toward national development". * –
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is n ...
Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (; born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician serving as the 14th and current Prime Minister of India since 2014. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament from ...
telephoned Sirisena after Rajapaksa had conceded defeat, congratulating Sirisena and the Sri Lankan people for the "peaceful and democratic poll process". * –
Minister for Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...
Fumio Kishida is a Japanese politician serving as Prime Minister of Japan and president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since 2021. A member of the House of Representatives, he previously served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2017 and ...
issued a statement on 9 January 2015 welcoming the "peaceful and successful holding of the presidential election", congratulating Sirisena, saying that Japan hopes that "all parties concerned in Sri Lanka will work together to further promote national reconciliation, democracy and economic development". * –
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is n ...
Erna Solberg Erna Solberg (; born 24 February 1961) is a Norwegian politician and the current Leader of the Opposition. She served as the 35th prime minister of Norway from 2013 to 2021, and has been Leader of the Conservative Party since May 2004. Solberg ...
issued a statement on 9 January 2015 congratulating the Sri Lankan people and Sirisena, saying that she looked forward to working with the new government to "promote a peaceful, inclusive and democratic Sri Lanka". * –
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is n ...
David Cameron David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He previously served as Leader o ...
issued a statement on 9 January 2015 congratulating Sirisena and encouraging him to co-operate with UN investigation into alleged war crimes "so that the issues of the past can be addressed and the country can move forward to a brighter, peaceful future where all Sri Lankans can play a role".
Foreign Secretary The secretary of state for foreign, Commonwealth and development affairs, known as the foreign secretary, is a minister of the Crown of the Government of the United Kingdom and head of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Seen as ...
Philip Hammond Philip Hammond, Baron Hammond of Runnymede (born 4 December 1955) is a British politician and life peer who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2016 to 2019, Foreign Secretary from 2014 to 2016, and Defence Secretary from 2011 to 2014. ...
also issued a statement commending the Sri Lanka people "on the successful completion of their elections" and congratulating Sirisena, saying he looked forward to "working with the new government and reinvigorating the long standing partnership between the UK and Sri Lanka". * –
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
issued a statement on 9 January 2015 congratulating "the people of Sri Lanka on the successful and peaceful conclusion" to the election and Sirisena on his victory, saying that it was "a symbol of hope for those who support democracy all around the world". Secretary of State
John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he p ...
also issued a statement praising Sri Lanka people "on the successful conclusion of their elections", commending Rajapaksa for accepting the resulting and saying that he looked "forward to working with President-elect Maithripala Sirisena".


Alleged role of R&AW

It was alleged by a Sri Lankan newspaper
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
, that Indian spy agency
Research and Analysis Wing The Research and Analysis Wing (abbreviated R&AW; hi, ) is the foreign intelligence agency of India. The agency's primary function is gathering foreign intelligence, counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation, advising Indian policymakers, a ...
had a played in role in uniting the opposition, to bring about the defeat of
Mahinda Rajapaksa Mahinda Rajapaksa ( si, මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ, ta, மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஷ; born Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa; 18 November 1945) is a Sri Lankan politician. He served as the President of Sri Lanka from 2005 to ...
. There had been growing concern in the India, on the increasing influence of its economic and military rival China in Sri Lankan affairs. Rajapaksa further upped the ante by allowing 2 Chinese submarines to dock in 2014, without informing India, in spite of a stand still agreement to this effect between India and Sri Lanka. The growing Chinese tilt of Rajapaksa was viewed by India with unease. Further, it was alleged, that R&AW Chief of Station in Colombo, helped co-ordination of talks within the opposition, and convincing former PM
Ranil Wickremesinghe Ranil Wickremesinghe ( si, රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ, ta, ரணில் விக்கிரமசிங்க; born 24 March 1949) is a Sri Lankan politician who is the current president of Sri Lanka since 21 July 2 ...
not to stand against Rajapaksa, but to choose a common opposition candidate, who had better chances of winning. The agent is also alleged to have been in touch with
Chandrika Kumaratunga Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga ( si, චන්ද්‍රිකා බණ්ඩාරනායක කුමාරතුංග, ta, சந்திரிகா பண்டாரநாயக்க குமாரதுங்க; born 29 Ju ...
, who played a key role in convincing
Maithripala Sirisena Maithripala Yapa Sirisena ( si, පල්ලෙවත්‍ත ගමරාළලාගේ මෛත්‍රීපාල යාපා සිරිසේන; ta, பல்லேவத்த கமராளலாகே மைத்திரி� ...
to be the common candidate. Further, it was alleged, that the Rajapaksa government had expelled the involved R&AW Colombo station chief in the run-up to presidential election. However these allegations were denied by the
Indian Government The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
and the new Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera.


Notes


References


External links

;General
Department of Elections

Sri Lankan presidential election, 2015 analysis, Upali NewspapersCentre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV)
;Manifestos
"Mahinda's Vision - The World Winning Path" - Election manifesto of Mahinda Rajapaksa (English)"Mahinda Chinthana - Lova Dinana Maga" - Election manifesto of Mahinda Rajapaksa (Sinhala)"A Compassionate Maithri Governance - A Stable Country" - Election manifesto of Maithripala Sirisena (English)"A Compassionate Maithri Governance - A Stable Country" - Election manifesto of Maithripala Sirisena (Sinhala)
{{Mahinda Rajapaksa Presidential elections in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
Presidential election A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President. Elections by country Albania The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public. Chile The ...
Maithripala Sirisena
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
Research and Analysis Wing