News Digest

Sri Lanka president Rajapaksa concedes defeat in elections

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday conceded defeat in the country’s presidential election, which looks set to be won by opposition challenger Mithripala Sirisena. “The president conceded defeat at a meeting with opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and the new president will be sworn in this evening,” an official at the president’s office said, adding that Rajapaksa had already left his official residence. Earlier, partial results showed Sirisena leading with about 56 per cent of the nearly 600,000 votes counted so far, with Rajapaksa trailing at 41 per cent, according to the Department of Elections.

We need a change, we need a government that thinks about the poor.

Ranjith Abeysinghe, a taxi driver in Gampaha

Rajapaksa had seemed assured of victory when he declared the snap poll in November seeking an unprecedented third term, five years after crushing a violent separatist rebellion that traumatised the country for decades. But he has become unpopular in recent years, dogged by accusations of increasing authoritarianism and corruption and a failure to bring about post-war reconciliation. Sirisena was a relative unknown until he became the main opposition candidate, but his decision to run triggered a slew of defections and become a rallying point for disaffection with Rajapakse and his powerful family. Election commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya said final results were expected later Friday.

My victory is in sight. There is support for us everywhere.

Maithripala Sirisena as he cast his vote, promising a “new political culture”