Colombo, Jan 27 (Inditop.com) Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has taken an early lead over his main rival former army commander General Sarath Fonseka in the presidential election results announced here Wednesday.
With over 700,000 votes counted by 5 a.m Rajapaksa had taken a lead of over 179,000 over Fonseka who had 278,000 to the incumbent’s 458,000 votes, Xinhua news agency reported.
The island’s sixth presidential election was held largely free of violence Tuesday.
The department of elections said 14,088,500 Sri Lankans were eligible to cast their votes at 11,098 polling station from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. to choose their next president mainly from Rajapaksa and Fonseka, though there are 22 candidates.
Rajapaksa called the election two years ahead of schedule to capitalise on his popularity among the majority Sinhalese after ending the island’s bloody ethnic conflict.
Fonseka, who commanded the army to defeat the rebels, is equally credited for the victory.
