Lanka president abandons re-election bid

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has decided not to stand for re-election in November polls as the politically influential Rajapakse family nominated two candidates by final registration yesterday.

Sirisena’s name was not on a list of 41 candidates who paid deposits by Sunday’s noon deadline to contest the November 16 presidential poll, according to Election Commission records.

It means Sirisena will leave office the day after the election, cutting short his five-year term by 52 days.

A spokesman for Sirisena’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) confirmed he was not seeking re-election.

Sirisena caused a constitutional crisis last year when he sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replaced him with former president Mahinder Rajapakse.

Gotabhaya—a former secretary to the ministry of defence during his brother’s decade in power—is the front-runner, but faces several court cases over corruption allegations and the validity of his Sri Lankan citizenship.

 

Lanka president abandons re-election bid

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has decided not to stand for re-election in November polls as the politically influential Rajapakse family nominated two candidates by final registration yesterday. Sirisenas name was not on a list of 41 candidates who paid deposits by Sundays noon deadline to contest the November 16 presidential poll, according to Election Commission records. It means Sirisena will leave office the day after the election, cutting short his five-year term by 52 days. A spokesman for Sirisenas Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) confirmed he was not seeking re-election. Sirisena caused a constitutional crisis last year when he sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replaced him with former president Mahinder Rajapakse. Gotabhayaa former secretary to the ministry of defence during his brothers decade in poweris the front-runner, but faces several court cases over corruption allegations and the validity of his Sri Lankan citizenship.