Former president and scion of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SFLP), Chandrika Kumaratunga, has endorsed the opposition candidate, former general Sarath Fonseka, in his bid against SFLP candidate and current president, Mahinda Rajapaksa. The move Sunday 24 January is seen as a major blow to the re-election bid by Rajapaksa in a close and increasingly violent campaign. It is the first election following the government’s victory in the long war against the Tamil Tigers last year.
Opposition parties have rallied around the former general, and accuse the ruling party of electoral fraud, of hogging the state media, and of planning a coup to seize power if the vote goes against Rajapaksa.
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News story, GenevaLunch, 25 January 2010.
Filed under: World news
Tags: Chandrika Kumaratunga, Mahinda Rajapaksa, presidential election, Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SFLP), Tamil Tigers