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| Sri Lanka |
| Sri Lanka president abandons re-election bid |
| 2019-10-07 |
| [ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has decided not to stand for re-election in November polls as the politically influential Rajapakse family nominated two candidates by final registration Sunday. Sirisena’s name was not on a list of 41 candidates who paid deposits by Sunday’s noon deadline to contest the November 16 presidential poll, according to Election Commission records. It means Sirisena will leave office the day after the election, cutting short his five-year term by 52 days. A front man for Sirisena’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) confirmed he was not seeking re-election. Sirisena caused a constitutional crisis last year when he sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replaced him with former president Mahinder Rajapakse. The Supreme Court later ruled against Sirisena’s action and reinstated Wickremesinghe. Two of Rajapakse’s brothers -- younger sibling Gotabhaya and elder Chamal -- have paid deposits to be candidates and challenge Sajith Premadasa, the deputy leader of Wickremesinghe’s United National Party. Related: Maithripala Sirisena: 2019-09-18 Opening of Sri Lanka’s tallest tower marred by corruption allegation Maithripala Sirisena: 2019-08-28 Sri Lankan Islamic clerics seek clarity on face veil ban Maithripala Sirisena: 2019-08-24 Sri Lanka ends emergency four months after Easter attacks Related: Sri Lanka Freedom Party: 2019-09-18 Opening of Sri Lanka’s tallest tower marred by corruption allegation Sri Lanka Freedom Party: 2019-05-02 Sri Lanka names Easter suicide bombers, security stepped up for May Day Sri Lanka Freedom Party: 2017-09-04 Sri Lanka leader to shield general from war crimes case Related: Ranil Wickremesinghe: 2019-07-17 Drug gangs were behind Easter bombings, blabbers Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe: 2019-07-07 Sri Lanka president vetoes military deal with the US Ranil Wickremesinghe: 2019-06-03 Sri Lanka police chief blames president for failing to prevent Easter Sunday terror attacks |
| Posted by:Fred |