Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Controversy Plagues Sri Lanka's Presidential Results -- News Updates January 27, 2010

A man hung posters of President Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka on Wednesday morning as Mr. Rajapaksa declared victory in his race for a second term. Lynsey Addario for The New York Times

Sri Lankan Leader Orders Troop Deployment After Election Victory Declared -- The Telegraph

Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Sri Lankan president, moved to tighten his grip on power last night, deploying troops against his main rival, a former army general, after securing a landslide victory in a disputed presidential election.

General Sarath Fonseka, the former army chief who ran against Mr Rajapaksa after the pair fell out over the share of credit for the country's civil war, said the president had imposed a military encirclement of his hotel to disarm his bodyguard. Gen Fonseka rejected the outcome of the election and claimed there had been ballot rigging, intimidation and abuse of state media. He spent most of the day holed up in the hotel but was reported to have been driven to another location late in the evening.

The scale of President Rajapaksa's victory – 57 per cent to General Fonseka's 40 per cent – shocked election monitors who had believed the campaigns were neck and neck.

Read more ....



More News On Sri Lanka's Presidential Election

Sri Lanka Reelects President; Loser Protests -- Time Magazine
Sri Lanka president’s election win disappoints Tamil expats -- Christian Science Monitor
Sri Lanka’s President Wins Re-election but Is Challenged -- New York Times
Sri Lanka President Declared Re-Elected, Top Rival Claims Results Rigged -- Voice of America
Sarath Fonseka claims assassination plot as Mahinda Rajapaksa wins poll - -Times Online
Fonseka cries foul, asks Election Commissioner to annul the polls -- Colombo Page
Sri Lanka opposition candidate is free to leave the hotel anytime, Minister says -- Colombo Page

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