Sri Lanka conteste election

Sri Lanka heads for contested election result
AFP

Sri Lanka heads for contested election result AFP – Sri Lanka's government has said it will challenge the legitimacy of leading opposition candidate …
by Amal Jayasinghe Amal Jayasinghe – 1 hr 11 mins ago

COLOMBO (AFP) – Sri Lanka's government said it would contest the legitimacy of the main opposition candidate in Tuesday's presidential vote, setting up a clash that threatens new instability on the war-torn island.

Sarath Fonseka, a former four-star general, took on his former boss, incumbent Mahinda Rajapakse, in the vote after a bitter and personal campaign that saw both sides accuse the other of planning foul play.

Just before polls closed Fonseka announced he had been unable to vote because he was not registered on the electoral list. Factfile: Sri Lanka

The government said this made him ineligible to be president, despite a strong statement from the independent election commissioner saying the issue did not prevent the 59-year-old military man from taking office if he won.

"We are seeking a court order on the suitability of this candidate because he is not eligible to be declared as a candidate," Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told reporters.

He said the statement from Election Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake was a mere "opinion" that would be challenged in the Supreme Court.

"The election commissioner has merely expressed an opinion, but the courts have the ultimate authority to interpret the law," Bogollagama said. Facts: Key dates in Sri Lanka's recent past

Announcing his inability to vote late in the day, Fonseka said he had sent papers to be registered at the time the last electoral roll was made in June 2008 and could not explain his omission

"My name is not on the 2008 register and therefore I cannot vote at this election," Fonseka told AFP. "The government is trying to use this to mislead the public at the last minute."

Rajapakse as commander-in-chief and Fonseka, his army commander, defeated Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels in May last year, ending their 37-year fight for independence that left 80,000-100,000 dead.

The military campaign, which has since been mired in war crimes allegations, made both men national heroes in the eyes of the Sinhalese majority electorate who had lived in fear of suicide blasts and bombings for decades. Profile: Sarath Fonseka

But from close allies on the battlefield they became irreconcilable enemies after Fonseka, a political novice, decided to challenge his former boss at the ballot box on an anti-corruption platform.

The vitriolic nature of the campaign, coupled with the personal animosity between the two candidates, had raised fears that the loser might reject the result, triggering fresh unrest.

Ahead of the election, Fonseka alleged the government would intimidate voters and was preparing a coup if it lost.

He has been accused in turn of working with a militia of army deserters to disrupt the ballot.

Shortly before the government made its announcement, opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe gave an upbeat press conference at which he expressed confidence that Fonseka would win comfortably after a high turnout. Related article: Voters keen to cast their ballots

The election has been "by and large" peaceful despite some violent incidents in the Tamil-majority north, he said.

"There was a high poll (turnout) and that will ensure that Sarath Fonseka will be president," he told reporters.

The opposition had said before the election it was prepared to mount demonstrations if the government attempted to ignore the will of the people. Profile: Mahinda Rajapakse

"If there is a war, we will face it," Fonseka said on Monday, referring to the opposition's willingness to resist with street protests and non-violent action.

Rajapakse cast his ballot in his home constituency of Mulkirigala early Tuesday and told reporters he was confident of securing a second term.

"We must be ready to face the challenges of reaching new heights after this vote," said the 64-year-old, who called the election only four years into his six-year term.

A formal announcement of the result of the vote is expected Wednesday.

In the run up to the poll, four people were killed and there were nearly 1,000 election-related incidents of violence.

On Tuesday, the independent Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) reported at least 100 violent incidents during polling, including a bomb targeting a ruling party candidate in a pre-dawn attack.