Rajapaksa, who will be sworn into office in an ancient Buddhist temple, to sweep to election victory, tapping into the anger and fears of majority communities.
In his first comments after defeating Sajith Premadasa, a housing minister in the current government, Rajapaksa struck a conciliatory note, suggesting he would be leader of all Sri Lankans, regardless of their ethnic and religious identities.
"As we usher in a new journey for Sri Lanka, we must remember that all Sri Lankans are part of this journey. Let us rejoice peacefully, with dignity and discipline in the same manner in which we campaigned," Rajapaksa said in a tweet.
The election commission said Rajapaksa won 52.25% of the votes in Saturday's election, while Premadasa got 41.99%, giving Rajapaksa a far bigger lead than predicted by politicians and analysts.
Millions voted to elect a new president to lead the country out of its deepest economic slump in over 15 years, dragged down by its tourism sector following the bombings on April 21 which killed more than 250 people.
This story is from the November - December 2019 edition of Cochin Herald.
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This story is from the November - December 2019 edition of Cochin Herald.
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