Sri Lanka's strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa staged a political comeback on Friday as his party registered a landslide victory in the twice-postponed general elections, according to the final results released by the elections commission.

Your Story: Rajapaksas now authorized to amend the constitution, Two-third majority in 2020 polls

SLPP registers landslide victory in Sri Lanka's parliamentary polls

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Sri Lanka: Rajapaksas now authorized to amend the constitution

Sri Lanka: Rajapaksas return with a strong mandate

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's party is on course to secure a massive victory in the parliamentary elections.

As per the latest updates on Thursday, over 60 per cent of the 11.3 million votes were counted and Rajapaksas' Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP) had 57 per cent of the votes.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

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Results showed that the party had won 72 out of the 98 seats that have declared their results and set for a two-thirds majority in the the 225-member parliament.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lankan-presidents-party-ahead-in-election-vote-count-318667">Sri Lankan president's party ahead in election vote count</a>

"Results so far indicate an excellent victory for the SLPP," the president said on Twitter.&nbsp;

His older brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already congratulated him for victory that looks inevitable now.&nbsp;

The results have been very disappointing for opposition parties and ex-PM Ranil Wickremesinghe's party has failed to win any seat so far.

His party had 106 seats in the outgoing parliament.

Another party headed by Sajith Premadasa that split from Wikremesinghe's party secured 20 per cent of the votes and is emerging as a distant second.&nbsp;

The final results are expected late on Thursday.&nbsp;

The elections that were delayed twice because of the coronavirus outbreak still managed to bring a turnout of 70 per cent out of 16 million voters.&nbsp;

Rajapaksas follow a Sinhalese nationalistic politics and their support rose immensely following 2019 Easter bombings by Muslim extremists that killed 279 people.&nbsp;

They are also seen as heroes to end decades-long Tamil separatists war in 2009 through muscular military powers.

(With AFP inputs)

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's party is on course to secure a massive victory in the parliamentary elections. As per the latest updates on Thursday, over 60 per cent of the 11.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's party is on course to secure a massive victory in the parliamentary elections. As per the latest updates on Thursday, over 60 per cent of the 11.3 million votes were counted and Rajapaksas' Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP) had 57 per cent of the votes. Watch | Results showed that the party had won 72 out of the 98 seats that have declared their results and set for a two-thirds majority in the the 225-member parliament. Also read | Sri Lankan president's party ahead in election vote count "Results so far indicate an excellent victory for the SLPP," the president said on Twitter. His older brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already congratulated him for victory that looks inevitable now. The results have been very disappointing for opposition parties and ex-PM Ranil Wickremesinghe's party has failed to win any seat so far. His party had 106 seats in the outgoing parliament. Another party headed by Sajith Premadasa that split from Wikremesinghe's party secured 20 per cent of the votes and is emerging as a distant second. The final results are expected late on Thursday. The elections that were delayed twice because of the coronavirus outbreak still managed to bring a turnout of 70 per cent out of 16 million voters. Rajapaksas follow a Sinhalese nationalistic politics and their support rose immensely following 2019 Easter bombings by Muslim extremists that killed 279 people. They are also seen as heroes to end decades-long Tamil separatists war in 2009 through muscular military powers. (With AFP inputs)

Sri Lanka elections 2020: Rajapaksas set towards landslide victory

The counting of votes is underway in Sri Lanka after citizens streamed into polling stations on August 5. Nearly 71% of people cast their votes. Watch report.

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Polling for Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election concluded on Wednesday with a voter turnout of 71%. The results will be released on Thursday

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Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's ruling party on Thursday took an early lead in vote counting after a parliamentary election that he hopes will clear the way for constitutional changes to make the presidency more powerful.

Close to 70% of eligible Sri Lankans voted in Wednesday's election to the 225-member parliament, shrugging off their fears of the coronavirus. Counting of votes began early on Thursday, and the final tally is expected by midnight.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/lanka-general-election-counting-begins-rajapaksa-clan-eyes-landslide-win-318541">Lanka general election: Counting begins, Rajapaksa clan eyes landslide win</a>

Rajapaksa's Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP) was leading in nine out of 13 electoral districts from which early counting trends were available, the information department said. There are in all 22 districts.

Watch |&nbsp;

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Rajapaksa hopes to install his older brother Mahinda Rajapaksa - also a former president - as the next prime minister. The brothers are best known for crushing the Tamil Tiger rebels fighting for a separate homeland for minority Tamils during the elder Rajapaksa's presidency in 2009.

Early counting showed that the Rajapaksas, who have long championed the cause of the island's Sinhalese Buddhist majority, were on track to win 70% of the vote in the Sinhalese-dominated south.

The SLPP was trailing a regional group in the minority Tamil-dominated north of the island.

The tourism-dependent nation of 21 million people has been struggling since deadly Islamist militant attacks on hotels and churches last year followed by lockdowns to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

President Rajapaksa needs a two-thirds majority in parliament to be able to restore full executive powers to the presidency, which he says are necessary to implement his agenda to make the country economically and militarily secure.

A previous government led by the opposition had amended the constitution and set up independent commissions to oversee the police and the judiciary among other arms of the government.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's ruling party on Thursday took an early lead in vote counting after a parliamentary election that he hopes will clear the way for constitutional changes to make the presidency more powerful.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's ruling party on Thursday took an early lead in vote counting after a parliamentary election that he hopes will clear the way for constitutional changes to make the presidency more powerful. Close to 70% of eligible Sri Lankans voted in Wednesday's election to the 225-member parliament, shrugging off their fears of the coronavirus. Counting of votes began early on Thursday, and the final tally is expected by midnight. Also read | Lanka general election: Counting begins, Rajapaksa clan eyes landslide win Rajapaksa's Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP) was leading in nine out of 13 electoral districts from which early counting trends were available, the information department said. There are in all 22 districts. Watch | Rajapaksa hopes to install his older brother Mahinda Rajapaksa - also a former president - as the next prime minister. The brothers are best known for crushing the Tamil Tiger rebels fighting for a separate homeland for minority Tamils during the elder Rajapaksa's presidency in 2009. Early counting showed that the Rajapaksas, who have long championed the cause of the island's Sinhalese Buddhist majority, were on track to win 70% of the vote in the Sinhalese-dominated south. The SLPP was trailing a regional group in the minority Tamil-dominated north of the island. The tourism-dependent nation of 21 million people has been struggling since deadly Islamist militant attacks on hotels and churches last year followed by lockdowns to slow the spread of the coronavirus. President Rajapaksa needs a two-thirds majority in parliament to be able to restore full executive powers to the presidency, which he says are necessary to implement his agenda to make the country economically and militarily secure. A previous government led by the opposition had amended the constitution and set up independent commissions to oversee the police and the judiciary among other arms of the government.

Sri Lankan president's party ahead in election vote count

Sri Lanka voted for a new Parliament today. The question is not who will win the polls, but whether Mahinda Rajapaksa will be able to secure a 2/3rd majority. WION's Palki Sharma tells you what this election means for Sri Lanka and India.

Gravitas: Understanding the Sri Lankan Parliamentary elections

Polling has concluded in Sri Lanka. Polls were held under strict health guidelines on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch report.

Fineprint: Rajapaksas look to tighten grip on power, Sri Lanka polls voter turnout over 60%

Sri Lanka is prepared to hold the general elections on Wednesday to elect a 225 member parliament with strict health guidelines amidst the COVID-19 situation.

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Polling for the 2020 parliamentary election commenced in Sri Lanka Wednesday at 7 am in 12,985 polling stations across the country under strict health guidelines.

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Polling begins for Sri Lanka parliamentary elections amid pandemic

Did you know that Ravana celebrated as a symbol of strength in Sri Lanka? The demon king is the antagonist in the Hindu epic Ramayana. But, he is playing a major role in the upcoming Lankan polls. WION's Palki Sharma has the details.

Gravitas: Ravana gets a role in the upcoming Sri Lankan election

Sri Lanka is heading to the polls next week. Sri Lanka's political history is full of ups and downs. WION's Palki Sharma gets you a recap of Sri Lanka's political journey so far.

Gravitas: The journey so far | Sri Lanka's political history

Fineprint: Sri Lanka goes to polls tomorrow, Chinese influence in the election under scanner

Sri Lanka is prepared to hold the general elections on Wednesday to elect a 225 member parliament with strict health guidelines amidst COVID situation.

Sri Lanka all set to hold general elections tomorrow; Polls delayed twice by COVID-19

Sri Lanka will have its general election in six days. But, will China be the ultimate winner of this election? China has been cultivating the biggest political influencers in Sri Lanka - The Buddhist Clergy and Leaders. WION's Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: What is China's link with Lankan Buddhist Monks?

In recent years, China has cultivated a wide variety of political allies in Sri Lanka. As a result, Chinese investments are expanding - while other partners like The United States, Japan, and India are being stonewalled. WION's Palki Sharma tells you more about China's growing influence in Sri Lanka.

Gravitas: Sri Lanka Election | Will China be the ultimate winner?

In six days from now, Sri Lanka will go to the polls for the parliamentary elections which were delayed due to coronavirus. However, now, the elections are being compromised by China.

China wants to win this election, no matter who gets the votes. So, China is cultivating the biggest political influencers in Sri Lanka — the Buddhist clergy and leaders.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-tried-to-steal-vaccine-research-from-us-university-investigators-316899">Also read|&nbsp;China tried to steal vaccine research from US university: Investigators</a>

Last year, the Lotus Tower was unveiled in Colombo. The tower which is 350 meters high&nbsp;was built by China. It is named after the lotus Sutra one of the sacred scriptures of Buddhism even the tower's design draws inspiration&nbsp;from Buddhism -&nbsp;the religion of the majority Sinhalese community in Sri Lanka.

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The Lotus Tower is an example of China’s Buddhist diplomacy.&nbsp; It goes back to 2015 during another previous elections in Sri Lanka.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-professor-simon-ang-indicted-over-china-links-faces-44-counts-of-fraud-317016">Also read|&nbsp;US professor Simon Ang indicted over China links, faces 44 counts of fraud</a>

Reports say large payments were made from Chinese accounts to the Rajapaksa campaign and part of the money&nbsp;went to a Buddhist monk. The money involved was nearly $7 million. The payment was made by a company called China Harbor, the company that built the Hambanthota&nbsp;Port.

Out of these funds, $38,000 were allegedly paid to a popular Buddhist monk, a supporter of Rajapaksa.

As it turned out, he did not win the election but Chinese diplomats found a new partner in Sri Lanka — the Buddhist clergy.

In 2015, the Chinese ambassador met with monks of the Asgiriya chapter,&nbsp;one of the two most influential Buddhist orders in Sri Lanka. Last year, the chief monk of the&nbsp;chapter had accused Muslims of destroying the country.

Later that year, a Sri Lankan Buddhist delegation participated at the fourth World Buddhist Forum in China. More than 1,000 Buddhist monks and scholars from 52 countries were part of the event and the Sri Lankan delegation was among the largest.

China has been spending time, money and diplomatic capital to build influence in a key political bloc in Sri Lanka. However,&nbsp;it is not the only political bloc that China is trying to keep a tab on. China, that cracks down on Buddhists in Tibet is spending money to cultivate another short term relation.

In six days from now, Sri Lanka will go to the polls for the parliamentary elections which were delayed due to coronavirus. However, now, the elections are being compromised by China.

In six days from now, Sri Lanka will go to the polls for the parliamentary elections which were delayed due to coronavirus. However, now, the elections are being compromised by China. China wants to win this election, no matter who gets the votes. So, China is cultivating the biggest political influencers in Sri Lanka — the Buddhist clergy and leaders. Also read| China tried to steal vaccine research from US university: Investigators Last year, the Lotus Tower was unveiled in Colombo. The tower which is 350 meters high was built by China. It is named after the lotus Sutra one of the sacred scriptures of Buddhism even the tower's design draws inspiration from Buddhism - the religion of the majority Sinhalese community in Sri Lanka. × The Lotus Tower is an example of China’s Buddhist diplomacy. It goes back to 2015 during another previous elections in Sri Lanka. Also read| US professor Simon Ang indicted over China links, faces 44 counts of fraud Reports say large payments were made from Chinese accounts to the Rajapaksa campaign and part of the money went to a Buddhist monk. The money involved was nearly $7 million. The payment was made by a company called China Harbor, the company that built the Hambanthota Port. Out of these funds, $38,000 were allegedly paid to a popular Buddhist monk, a supporter of Rajapaksa. As it turned out, he did not win the election but Chinese diplomats found a new partner in Sri Lanka — the Buddhist clergy. In 2015, the Chinese ambassador met with monks of the Asgiriya chapter, one of the two most influential Buddhist orders in Sri Lanka. Last year, the chief monk of the chapter had accused Muslims of destroying the country. Later that year, a Sri Lankan Buddhist delegation participated at the fourth World Buddhist Forum in China. More than 1,000 Buddhist monks and scholars from 52 countries were part of the event and the Sri Lankan delegation was among the largest. China has been spending time, money and diplomatic capital to build influence in a key political bloc in Sri Lanka. However, it is not the only political bloc that China is trying to keep a tab on. China, that cracks down on Buddhists in Tibet is spending money to cultivate another short term relation.

As polls approach in Sri Lanka, China begins cultivating Buddhist clergy

&nbsp;Public health inspectors in Sri Lanka on Friday announced that they will refrain from COVID-19 related duties to protest Health Minister Pavitra Wanniarachchi's recent remarks against them.

Minister Wanniarachchi recently said that PHI officers engaged in COVID-19 duties were causing inconvenience by revealing details of the latest detections of coronavirus patients to the media.

Public Health Inspectors Union (PHIU) in a statement said they are protesting Wanniarachchi's remarks that PHIs had caused problems in COVID-19 prevention and therefore they would not be provided legal cover for their work. 
They said they were withdrawing from all COVID-19 combat work from mid-day Friday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/postal-voting-for-over-70000-sri-lankan-officials-begins-amid-new-covid-19-threat-313095">Also read:&nbsp;Postal voting for over 700,00 Sri Lankan officials begins amid new COVID-19 threat</a>

Health Minister Wanniarachchi's comments came as she took action to gazette the health guidelines after a long delay on holding the August 5 parliamentary elections.

The Election Commission had complained that guidelines that were forwarded to the authorities early June had not been given legal effect by way of a gazette publication even by Thursday.

Election Commission chief Mahinda Deshapriya said it would be extremely difficult to conduct the election on August 5 without the gazette on health guidelines.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-cancels-election-rallies-over-surge-in-new-virus-cases-312781">Also read:&nbsp;Sri Lanka cancels election rallies over surge in new virus cases</a>

The PHIs told the Election Commission that the legal cover for their work was a must as people tend to object to and ignore their work to comply with health guidelines without the legal cover.

It was announced Saturday morning that COVID-19 (Elections) regulations 2020 are to deal only with issues concerning election rallies, canvassing by political parties and maintenance of elections offices by political parties.

This excludes the PHI functions in respective areas to enforce health guidelines. 
The election which had been twice postponed is due to be held on August 5.

The need for legality to the health guidelines became even more important in the face of what seemed a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

A sudden spike of over 500 cases from the north central region forced the cancellation of election campaigning and closure of schools.

Public health inspectors in Sri Lanka on Friday announced that they will refrain from COVID-19 related duties to protest Health Minister Pavitra Wanniarachchi's recent remarks against them.

Public health inspectors in Sri Lanka on Friday announced that they will refrain from COVID-19 related duties to protest Health Minister Pavitra Wanniarachchi's recent remarks against them. Minister Wanniarachchi recently said that PHI officers engaged in COVID-19 duties were causing inconvenience by revealing details of the latest detections of coronavirus patients to the media. Public Health Inspectors Union (PHIU) in a statement said they are protesting Wanniarachchi's remarks that PHIs had caused problems in COVID-19 prevention and therefore they would not be provided legal cover for their work. They said they were withdrawing from all COVID-19 combat work from mid-day Friday. Also read: Postal voting for over 700,00 Sri Lankan officials begins amid new COVID-19 threat Health Minister Wanniarachchi's comments came as she took action to gazette the health guidelines after a long delay on holding the August 5 parliamentary elections. The Election Commission had complained that guidelines that were forwarded to the authorities early June had not been given legal effect by way of a gazette publication even by Thursday. Election Commission chief Mahinda Deshapriya said it would be extremely difficult to conduct the election on August 5 without the gazette on health guidelines. Also read: Sri Lanka cancels election rallies over surge in new virus cases The PHIs told the Election Commission that the legal cover for their work was a must as people tend to object to and ignore their work to comply with health guidelines without the legal cover. It was announced Saturday morning that COVID-19 (Elections) regulations 2020 are to deal only with issues concerning election rallies, canvassing by political parties and maintenance of elections offices by political parties. This excludes the PHI functions in respective areas to enforce health guidelines. The election which had been twice postponed is due to be held on August 5. The need for legality to the health guidelines became even more important in the face of what seemed a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. A sudden spike of over 500 cases from the north central region forced the cancellation of election campaigning and closure of schools.

Lanka health inspectors withdraw from COVID-19 duties over minister's remarks against them

With 619 total positive coronavirus cases and 7 deaths, Sri Lanka has been subject to economic and health problems since it began the nationwide lockdown. As the country is trying to fight the war against the virus, the island is also facing political disturbances.

The number of positive cases increased tremendously after 30 new positive cases were&nbsp;reported in a Sri Lankan Navy facility few days ago. Colombo is one the worst-hit cities in the country with more than 150 cases.&nbsp;Health officials have said that&nbsp;they have increased the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests and&nbsp;aim to conduct around 100 PCR tests in a day.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sewage-new-way-to-deduct-prevalence-of-covid-19-by-scientists-295127">Sewage: New way to deduct prevalence of Covid-19 by scientists</a>

Now, the country is also facing a huge cash crunch as the Parliament has been shut for the past few weeks with respect to the lockdown.&nbsp;Opposition MP and former finance minister Mangala Samaraweera demanded an&nbsp;immediate return of the 225-member assembly to avoid a financial crisis.

"Failure to do so, especially at a time of a pandemic is bound to have serious repercussions... in light of international obligations," Samaraweera said in a letter to the President.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/curb-coronavirus-root-cause-or-bear-worse-pandemics-say-worlds-leading-scientists-295122" hreflang="en">Curb coronavirus' root cause or bear worse pandemics, say top scientists</a>

The opposition is accusing the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of using this&nbsp;lockdown to sidestep constitutional requirements, and have called on urgently&nbsp;recalling parliament, which was dissolved ahead of elections.

"The question is whether they want a parliament at all. To me it looks like they want to continue without a parliament," former legislator Harsha de Silva told a media organization.

The President has dismissed all accusations assuring that he means well for his citizens.

With 619 total positive coronavirus cases and 7 deaths, Sri Lanka has been subject to economic and health problems since it began the nationwide lockdown. As the country is trying to fight the war against the virus, the island is also facing political disturbances.

With 619 total positive coronavirus cases and 7 deaths, Sri Lanka has been subject to economic and health problems since it began the nationwide lockdown. As the country is trying to fight the war against the virus, the island is also facing political disturbances. The number of positive cases increased tremendously after 30 new positive cases were reported in a Sri Lankan Navy facility few days ago. Colombo is one the worst-hit cities in the country with more than 150 cases. Health officials have said that they have increased the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests and aim to conduct around 100 PCR tests in a day. Sewage: New way to deduct prevalence of Covid-19 by scientists Now, the country is also facing a huge cash crunch as the Parliament has been shut for the past few weeks with respect to the lockdown. Opposition MP and former finance minister Mangala Samaraweera demanded an immediate return of the 225-member assembly to avoid a financial crisis. "Failure to do so, especially at a time of a pandemic is bound to have serious repercussions... in light of international obligations," Samaraweera said in a letter to the President. Also read: Curb coronavirus' root cause or bear worse pandemics, say top scientists The opposition is accusing the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of using this lockdown to sidestep constitutional requirements, and have called on urgently recalling parliament, which was dissolved ahead of elections. "The question is whether they want a parliament at all. To me it looks like they want to continue without a parliament," former legislator Harsha de Silva told a media organization. The President has dismissed all accusations assuring that he means well for his citizens.

Sri Lanka in financial crisis as Parliament shuts due to coronavirus

Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday said that he had signed the nomination papers to contest the upcoming general elections from Kurunegala District.

Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday said that he had signed the nomination papers to contest the upcoming general elections from Kurunegala District. Rajapaksa further said that his Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, a newly formed party that backed country's President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa during the mid-November presidential elections in 2019 will form a strong government and action the party's manifesto for a better future for all Sri Lankan’s. ''Signed nomination papers to contest upcoming General Elections from #Kurunegala District. The #SLPP is committed to conducting an environmental friendly and clean campaign. We will form a strong government and action the #SLPP manifesto for a better future for all Sri Lankan’s,'' Rajapaksa tweeted today. Signed nomination papers to contest upcoming General Elections from #Kurunegala District. The #SLPP is committed to conducting an environmental friendly and clean campaign. We will form a strong government and action the #SLPP manifesto for a better future for all Sri Lankan’s. — Mahinda Rajapaksa (@PresRajapaksa) March 11, 2020 × The island nation's President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa dissolved the Parliament on March 3, paving the way for snap elections in the country months ahead of the schedule. President Rajapaksa in December named his elder brother and former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa as the prime minister of the caretaker cabinet until the general election in August 2020. The current parliament was appointed on September 1, 2015. The Lankan president had earlier said he wanted two-thirds parliamentary strength- 150 seats in the 225-member assembly. Among the Rajapaksa reforms post election are the abolition of 19A.

Sri Lanka elections: PM Mahinda Rajapaksa signs nomination papers to contest polls 

Sri Lanka's new president called a snap election on April 25 after sacking the national parliament where his party led a minority government, officials said Monday.

Sri Lanka's new president called a snap election on April 25 after sacking the national parliament where his party led a minority government, officials said Monday. Gotabaya Rajapaksa received the power to dissolve the 225-member legislature as it completed four-and-a-half out of its five-year term on Sunday. "We have received a formal notification dissolving parliament and setting out the election calendar," an Election Commission official told AFP. He said the notice was to be published in the government Gazette later Monday. Political parties and independent groups can file nomination papers later this month and the first session of the newly elected parliament has been scheduled for May 14, the official said quoting from the presidential decree. Rajapaksa, 70, won a landslide at November presidential polls and appointed his older brother and former president Mahinda as prime minister, consolidating their hold on power. Mahinda, who had been president twice and the prime minister three times, is expected to lead his Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP, or People's Front) party to a comfortable victory at next month's polls. Political commentators have said it would be a formidable challenge for the opposition to prevent Rajapaksa securing a two-thirds majority which will allow him sweeping powers to govern the nation of 21 million people. The United National Party (UNP) of former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has been plagued by a debilitating internal power struggle. The Rajapaksas are adored by the Sinhala-Buddhist majority -- but loathed among minority Tamils -- for spearheading the defeat of separatist militants in 2009 to end the island's 37-year ethnic war. Prime Minister Rajapaksa announced last month that the country was withdrawing from a UN resolution investigating alleged war crimes in 2009, a move that was seen as boosting his popularity with the Sinhalese majority. Mahinda was president when Sri Lankan troops defeated Tamil Tiger guerrillas in 2009. Rights groups accused the army of killing at least 40,000 Tamil civilians in the final months of the conflict, a charge Colombo has denied.

Sri Lanka calls snap parliamentary polls on April 25

By Andreas Johansson

Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected as Sri Lanka’s new president in elections on November 16 after winning 52 per cent of the votes for the Sri Lanka People’s Front party – 10 per cent more than his closet rival. This election was the first since the Easter bombing attacks that shocked the country in April 2019.

Known as Gota, Rajapaksa is a former defence minister and brother of Sri Lanka’s two-time president Mahinda Rajapaksa. After his successful presidential campaign, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who also is a US citizen, was congratulated by world leaders and promised to serve Sri Lanka’s people of all religions.

Throughout his campaign, Rajapaksa stressed that national unity is a priority and claimed he was running the first-ever carbon sensitive electoral campaign in the world. He also promised to deal with the country’s huge debt.

But Rajapaksa’s win has raised concerns among opposition and minorities in the country, who claim that it might increase ethnic tensions in Sri Lanka.

Divided history 
 
The first reason for these fears is linked to the end of the civil war, which lasted from 1982 to 2009. The war was between militant groups from the Tamil minority who wanted to create a separate Tamil nation and the Sri Lankan army. Gota was the minister of defence as the war drew to an end and he became a controversial figure when he and his brother were in charge of the brutal campaign that led to the end of the civil war in 2009.

In the last few months of the war, when the Sri Lankan army made its final offensive against Tamil militants in the northeast of the country, up to 40,000 people may have been killed, leaving Sri Lanka’s Tamil minority dealing with an immense trauma. The end of the war, May 18, is now called the remembrance day of the Tamil genocide.

Gotabaya has been accused of being a “war criminal” by international law experts because of the way the war ended and a United Nations report concluded there was credible evidence of war crimes committed by both the Tamil militants and the Sri Lankan government.

The former Rajapaksa regime might still face charges related to the end of the war, but there are now fears that the Rajapaksa family will not be held accountable for alleged human rights violations. Gotabaya was facing charges of torture in the US connected to his time as minister of defence, but the charges were dissmissed in mid-October because he had immunity under US law.

The opposition and minorities are also worried about press freedom now the Rajapaksa family has made a political comeback. Gotabaya and his brother were nicknamed the “predators of press freedom”: between 2004 and 2010, 44 journalists and media workers were killed in Sri Lanka – most of them Tamil speaking. Nevertheless, in an interview in late 2018 with the Swedish journalist, Johan Mikaelsson, Gotabaya denied that any Tamil journalists were killed during his time as minister of defence.

Muslim fears 
 
Sri Lanka’s Muslims, the country’s second-largest minority, are some of the most concerned about Gotabaya’s presidency. The Muslim population of Sri Lanka makes up 9.7 per cent&nbsp;of the nearly 22m inhabitants. Most of the Muslims in Sri Lanka are Sunni and speak Tamil as their mother tongue.

I have conducted research analysing Muslim politics in the country since 2006, and most of the politicians that I have talked with preferred other presidential candidates over Rajapaksa.

During his presidential campaign, Gotabaya promised to clamp down on Islamic extremism and said he would put national security above all else. This issue was particularly important in the election after the April 2019 terrorist attack in Sri Lanka on Christian churches and luxury hotels in which at least 259 people were killed and more than 500 injured. The attacks were carried out by Sri Lankan citizens, members of local groups National Thowheeth Jama'ath and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim, who had sworn alliance to Islamic State.

Days after the attack, Gotabaya criticised the former president, Maithripala Sirisena, and the national security in the country, and promised that he was the right man for the job of keeping Sri Lankans safe.

After the Easter bombings, Muslims were attacked by angry mobs several times. There are now fears that Gotabaya’s hard line against Islamic extremism could spark more anti-Muslim sentiment.

In the years after the war, hardline Buddhist groups such as the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) targeted Muslims and Christians in different campaigns, some of theWhile the presidential elections were largely peaceful, there were some incidents of violence, including a gun attack on a bus full of Muslim voters.

Rajapaksa’s lack of support among minority groups could be seen in the breakdown of the election results. In the northeast of Sri Lanka, where most of the Tamil and Muslim minorities live, Rajapaksa’s main opponent Sajith Premadasa received most votes. Still, the Rajapaksa brothers remain popular in Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese majority areas.

The first sign of changes in parliament are already here, the prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, resigned and Gotabaya named his brother, Mahinda, to take over. In 2020, Sri Lanka will have parliamentary elections and there is a good chance that the Rajapaksa family will strengthen its power base. By then, it should have become a bit clearer what Gotabaya’s victory will mean for the country’s minorities.m violent. In the past, Gotabaya had publicly appeared at a BBS event, but more recently has denied links with the group. The agenda of these Buddhist groups is to protect what they consider the holy land of Buddhism, Sri Lanka, from foreign elements. In 2014, the ethnic tension lead to riots between Muslims and Buddhists, and four Muslims were killed in the south of the country.&nbsp;

(Andreas Johansson is Director of Swedish South Asian Studies Network (SASNET), Lund University)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the<a href="https://theconversation.com/sri-lanka-gotabaya-rajapaksas-election-victory-sparks-fear-among-minorities-127302"> original article</a>) 
&nbsp; 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

 
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By Andreas Johansson Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected as Sri Lanka’s new president in elections on November 16 after winning 52 per cent of the votes for the Sri Lanka People’s Front party – 10 per cent more than his closet rival.

By Andreas Johansson Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected as Sri Lanka’s new president in elections on November 16 after winning 52 per cent of the votes for the Sri Lanka People’s Front party – 10 per cent more than his closet rival. This election was the first since the Easter bombing attacks that shocked the country in April 2019. Known as Gota, Rajapaksa is a former defence minister and brother of Sri Lanka’s two-time president Mahinda Rajapaksa. After his successful presidential campaign, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who also is a US citizen, was congratulated by world leaders and promised to serve Sri Lanka’s people of all religions. Throughout his campaign, Rajapaksa stressed that national unity is a priority and claimed he was running the first-ever carbon sensitive electoral campaign in the world. He also promised to deal with the country’s huge debt. But Rajapaksa’s win has raised concerns among opposition and minorities in the country, who claim that it might increase ethnic tensions in Sri Lanka. Divided history The first reason for these fears is linked to the end of the civil war, which lasted from 1982 to 2009. The war was between militant groups from the Tamil minority who wanted to create a separate Tamil nation and the Sri Lankan army. Gota was the minister of defence as the war drew to an end and he became a controversial figure when he and his brother were in charge of the brutal campaign that led to the end of the civil war in 2009. In the last few months of the war, when the Sri Lankan army made its final offensive against Tamil militants in the northeast of the country, up to 40,000 people may have been killed, leaving Sri Lanka’s Tamil minority dealing with an immense trauma. The end of the war, May 18, is now called the remembrance day of the Tamil genocide. Gotabaya has been accused of being a “war criminal” by international law experts because of the way the war ended and a United Nations report concluded there was credible evidence of war crimes committed by both the Tamil militants and the Sri Lankan government. The former Rajapaksa regime might still face charges related to the end of the war, but there are now fears that the Rajapaksa family will not be held accountable for alleged human rights violations. Gotabaya was facing charges of torture in the US connected to his time as minister of defence, but the charges were dissmissed in mid-October because he had immunity under US law. The opposition and minorities are also worried about press freedom now the Rajapaksa family has made a political comeback. Gotabaya and his brother were nicknamed the “predators of press freedom”: between 2004 and 2010, 44 journalists and media workers were killed in Sri Lanka – most of them Tamil speaking. Nevertheless, in an interview in late 2018 with the Swedish journalist, Johan Mikaelsson, Gotabaya denied that any Tamil journalists were killed during his time as minister of defence. Muslim fears Sri Lanka’s Muslims, the country’s second-largest minority, are some of the most concerned about Gotabaya’s presidency. The Muslim population of Sri Lanka makes up 9.7 per cent of the nearly 22m inhabitants. Most of the Muslims in Sri Lanka are Sunni and speak Tamil as their mother tongue. I have conducted research analysing Muslim politics in the country since 2006, and most of the politicians that I have talked with preferred other presidential candidates over Rajapaksa. During his presidential campaign, Gotabaya promised to clamp down on Islamic extremism and said he would put national security above all else. This issue was particularly important in the election after the April 2019 terrorist attack in Sri Lanka on Christian churches and luxury hotels in which at least 259 people were killed and more than 500 injured. The attacks were carried out by Sri Lankan citizens, members of local groups National Thowheeth Jama'ath and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim, who had sworn alliance to Islamic State. Days after the attack, Gotabaya criticised the former president, Maithripala Sirisena, and the national security in the country, and promised that he was the right man for the job of keeping Sri Lankans safe. After the Easter bombings, Muslims were attacked by angry mobs several times. There are now fears that Gotabaya’s hard line against Islamic extremism could spark more anti-Muslim sentiment. In the years after the war, hardline Buddhist groups such as the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) targeted Muslims and Christians in different campaigns, some of theWhile the presidential elections were largely peaceful, there were some incidents of violence, including a gun attack on a bus full of Muslim voters. Rajapaksa’s lack of support among minority groups could be seen in the breakdown of the election results. In the northeast of Sri Lanka, where most of the Tamil and Muslim minorities live, Rajapaksa’s main opponent Sajith Premadasa received most votes. Still, the Rajapaksa brothers remain popular in Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese majority areas. The first sign of changes in parliament are already here, the prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, resigned and Gotabaya named his brother, Mahinda, to take over. In 2020, Sri Lanka will have parliamentary elections and there is a good chance that the Rajapaksa family will strengthen its power base. By then, it should have become a bit clearer what Gotabaya’s victory will mean for the country’s minorities.m violent. In the past, Gotabaya had publicly appeared at a BBS event, but more recently has denied links with the group. The agenda of these Buddhist groups is to protect what they consider the holy land of Buddhism, Sri Lanka, from foreign elements. In 2014, the ethnic tension lead to riots between Muslims and Buddhists, and four Muslims were killed in the south of the country. (Andreas Johansson is Director of Swedish South Asian Studies Network (SASNET), Lund University) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Sri Lanka: Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s election victory sparks fear among minorities

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who spearheaded the brutal crushing of the Tamil Tigers 10 years ago, stormed to victory Sunday in Sri Lanka's presidential elections seven months after Islamist extremist attacks killed 269 people.

The retired lieutenant colonel, nicknamed the "Terminator" by his own family, won 53-54 per cent of the vote, his spokesman told AFP as Rajapaksa's main rival <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/ruling-party-candidate-premadasa-concedes-sri-lanka-presidential-poll-to-rajapaksa-262678">Sajith Premadasa </a>of the ruling party conceded the race.

"It is a clear win. We envisaged it. We are very happy that Gota will be the next president. He will be sworn in tomorrow or the day after," spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said.

Rajapaksa, 70, had a 49.6 per cent share of the vote with close to six million ballots counted. He is the younger brother of the charismatic but controversial Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was president from 2005-15.

Results from Sinhalese-majority regions -- the Rajapaksas' core support base -- were expected to push this above 50 per cent.

Premadasa, 52, of the ruling party was trailing at 44.4 per cent. He had strong support in minority Tamil areas and a poor showing in larger Sinhalese constituencies.

Election Commission chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said at least <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/voting-concludes-in-sri-lanka-president-polls-result-may-come-by-sunday-afternoon-262601">80 per cent </a>of the 15.99 million eligible voters participated in Saturday's poll, which was marred by isolated violence that left several people injured.

Rajapaksa conducted a nationalist campaign with a promise of security and a vow to crush religious extremism in the Buddhist-majority country following the April 21 suicide bomb attacks blamed on a homegrown jihadi group.

Three luxury hotels and three churches were targeted in the coordinated bombings. The Islamic State group also claimed responsibility for the attack, which left 45 foreigners dead.

Saturday's poll was the first popularity test of the United National Party (UNP) government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who stepped aside and allowed his deputy Premadasa to stand in the election.

Intelligence failure&nbsp;

Wickremesinghe's administration faced severe criticism for failing to prevent the attacks despite prior warnings from an intelligence agency of neighbouring India, according to findings of a parliamentary investigation.

Premadasa also offered better security and a pledge to make a former war general, Sarath Fonseka, his national security chief, projecting himself as a victim seeking to crush terrorism.

He is the son of assassinated ex-president Ranasinghe Premadasa who fell victim to a Tamil rebel suicide bomber in May 1993.

Gotabaya is adored by the Sinhalese majority and by the powerful Buddhist clergy for directing security forces to crush Tamil separatists and end a 37-year separatist war in May 2009 with brother Mahinda.

But they are detested and feared by many Tamils, who make up 15 per cent of the population. The conflict ended with some 40,000 Tamil civilians allegedly killed by the army.

Some in the Muslim community, who make up 10 per cent of the population, are also fearful of Gotabaya becoming president, having faced days of mob violence in the wake of the April attacks.

Under his brother, Gotabaya was defence secretary and effectively ran the security forces, allegedly overseeing "death squads" that bumped off rivals, journalists and others. He denies the allegations.

During that time, Sri Lanka also borrowed heavily from China for infrastructure projects and even allowed two Chinese submarines to dock in Colombo in 2014, alarming Western countries as well as India.

The projects ballooned Sri Lanka's debts and many turned into white elephants -- such as an airport in the south devoid of airlines -- mired in corruption allegations.

China also offered Sri Lanka "international diplomatic protection" against criticism for its rights record, analyst Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu told AFP.

The Rajapaksas "spent and spent without giving any consideration to how it has to be paid back".

Unlike in 2015 when there were bomb attacks and shootings, this election was relatively peaceful by the standards of Sri Lanka's fiery politics.

The only major incident was on Saturday when gunmen fired at two vehicles in a convoy of at least 100 buses taking voters from the Muslim minority to vote. Two people were injured.

After a campaign that according to the Election Commission was the worst ever for hate speech and misinformation, final results could come by later Sunday.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who spearheaded the brutal crushing of the Tamil Tigers 10 years ago, stormed to victory Sunday in Sri Lanka's presidential elections seven months after Islamist extremist attacks killed 269 people.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who spearheaded the brutal crushing of the Tamil Tigers 10 years ago, stormed to victory Sunday in Sri Lanka's presidential elections seven months after Islamist extremist attacks killed 269 people. The retired lieutenant colonel, nicknamed the "Terminator" by his own family, won 53-54 per cent of the vote, his spokesman told AFP as Rajapaksa's main rival Sajith Premadasa of the ruling party conceded the race. "It is a clear win. We envisaged it. We are very happy that Gota will be the next president. He will be sworn in tomorrow or the day after," spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said. Rajapaksa, 70, had a 49.6 per cent share of the vote with close to six million ballots counted. He is the younger brother of the charismatic but controversial Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was president from 2005-15. Results from Sinhalese-majority regions -- the Rajapaksas' core support base -- were expected to push this above 50 per cent. Premadasa, 52, of the ruling party was trailing at 44.4 per cent. He had strong support in minority Tamil areas and a poor showing in larger Sinhalese constituencies. Election Commission chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said at least 80 per cent of the 15.99 million eligible voters participated in Saturday's poll, which was marred by isolated violence that left several people injured. Rajapaksa conducted a nationalist campaign with a promise of security and a vow to crush religious extremism in the Buddhist-majority country following the April 21 suicide bomb attacks blamed on a homegrown jihadi group. Three luxury hotels and three churches were targeted in the coordinated bombings. The Islamic State group also claimed responsibility for the attack, which left 45 foreigners dead. Saturday's poll was the first popularity test of the United National Party (UNP) government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who stepped aside and allowed his deputy Premadasa to stand in the election. Intelligence failure Wickremesinghe's administration faced severe criticism for failing to prevent the attacks despite prior warnings from an intelligence agency of neighbouring India, according to findings of a parliamentary investigation. Premadasa also offered better security and a pledge to make a former war general, Sarath Fonseka, his national security chief, projecting himself as a victim seeking to crush terrorism. He is the son of assassinated ex-president Ranasinghe Premadasa who fell victim to a Tamil rebel suicide bomber in May 1993. Gotabaya is adored by the Sinhalese majority and by the powerful Buddhist clergy for directing security forces to crush Tamil separatists and end a 37-year separatist war in May 2009 with brother Mahinda. But they are detested and feared by many Tamils, who make up 15 per cent of the population. The conflict ended with some 40,000 Tamil civilians allegedly killed by the army. Some in the Muslim community, who make up 10 per cent of the population, are also fearful of Gotabaya becoming president, having faced days of mob violence in the wake of the April attacks. Under his brother, Gotabaya was defence secretary and effectively ran the security forces, allegedly overseeing "death squads" that bumped off rivals, journalists and others. He denies the allegations. During that time, Sri Lanka also borrowed heavily from China for infrastructure projects and even allowed two Chinese submarines to dock in Colombo in 2014, alarming Western countries as well as India. The projects ballooned Sri Lanka's debts and many turned into white elephants -- such as an airport in the south devoid of airlines -- mired in corruption allegations. China also offered Sri Lanka "international diplomatic protection" against criticism for its rights record, analyst Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu told AFP. The Rajapaksas "spent and spent without giving any consideration to how it has to be paid back". Unlike in 2015 when there were bomb attacks and shootings, this election was relatively peaceful by the standards of Sri Lanka's fiery politics. The only major incident was on Saturday when gunmen fired at two vehicles in a convoy of at least 100 buses taking voters from the Muslim minority to vote. Two people were injured. After a campaign that according to the Election Commission was the worst ever for hate speech and misinformation, final results could come by later Sunday.

Sri Lanka presidential election 2019: Gotabaya Rajapaksa storms to victory

Sajith Premadasa, MP is a Sri Lankan politician. The Cabinet Minister for Housing, Construction and Cultural Affairs and Member of Parliament for the Hambantota District. He is the Presidential Candidate from United National Front for 2019 Presidential Election.

Sri Lanka Elections: Who is Sajith Premadasa?

Sri Lanka's election commission said it would censor a state-owned TV station in an unprecedented move after accusing the network of bias against the former president's brother, who is standing in upcoming polls.

The surprise move came after the Independent Television Network (ITN) aired a programme alleging loyalists to the previous regime had thwarted a corruption probe into strongman ex-president Mahinda Rajapakse's family.&nbsp;

The broadcast had harmed opposition frontrunner Gotabhaya Rajapakse -- brother of the former leader -- according to the election commission.

The channel will be banned from showing political content from Monday without the commission's approval, chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said.

"ITN cannot broadcast any political content without clearing with the Election Commission until the conclusion of the election on November 16," said a letter sent from Deshapriya to the network late Saturday and seen by AFP.

The letter also said that any live events filmed by the station must be shown to the commission for approval before being transmitted.

It is the first time that a Sri Lankan election chief has censored a TV station.

The commission said it had received many complaints about other channels campaigning for Rajapakse without declaring their bias, but could not take action as these were all private networks.

Gotabhaya Rajapakse was defence secretary for a decade until his brother Mahinda was voted out in 2015.

The opposition candidate is the current favourite, even though his bid is widely seen as a front to get Mahinda -- barred from contesting the election because of a two-term limit -- back into power.

Mahinda's rule was marked by the end of a bloody civil war against ethnic Tamil rebels, and an international outcry over alleged human rights violations by Sri Lankan troops.

The election has attracted a record 35 candidates, with nearly 16 million people eligible to vote.

Last week, the commission said it was working with Facebook to take down posts that defamed election candidates.

Sri Lanka's election commission said it would censor a state-owned TV station in an unprecedented move after accusing the network of bias against the former president's brother, who is standing in upcoming polls.

Sri Lanka's election commission said it would censor a state-owned TV station in an unprecedented move after accusing the network of bias against the former president's brother, who is standing in upcoming polls. The surprise move came after the Independent Television Network (ITN) aired a programme alleging loyalists to the previous regime had thwarted a corruption probe into strongman ex-president Mahinda Rajapakse's family. The broadcast had harmed opposition frontrunner Gotabhaya Rajapakse -- brother of the former leader -- according to the election commission. The channel will be banned from showing political content from Monday without the commission's approval, chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said. "ITN cannot broadcast any political content without clearing with the Election Commission until the conclusion of the election on November 16," said a letter sent from Deshapriya to the network late Saturday and seen by AFP. The letter also said that any live events filmed by the station must be shown to the commission for approval before being transmitted. It is the first time that a Sri Lankan election chief has censored a TV station. The commission said it had received many complaints about other channels campaigning for Rajapakse without declaring their bias, but could not take action as these were all private networks. Gotabhaya Rajapakse was defence secretary for a decade until his brother Mahinda was voted out in 2015. The opposition candidate is the current favourite, even though his bid is widely seen as a front to get Mahinda -- barred from contesting the election because of a two-term limit -- back into power. Mahinda's rule was marked by the end of a bloody civil war against ethnic Tamil rebels, and an international outcry over alleged human rights violations by Sri Lankan troops. The election has attracted a record 35 candidates, with nearly 16 million people eligible to vote. Last week, the commission said it was working with Facebook to take down posts that defamed election candidates.

Sri Lanka election chief censors state TV ahead of polls

Sri Lanka's central bank will likely leave its key interest rates on hold at a policy review on Friday, after a 50-basis-point cut in August, a Reuters poll showed, ahead of presidential elections and as lower bank rates go into effect.

Central bank chief Indrajit Coomaraswamy told Reuters after the last policy rate decision that it "is extremely unlikely to reduce" the key monetary policy rates before presidential elections to be held on November&nbsp;16.

All 13 economists surveyed by Reuters expected the central bank of Sri Lanka to keep both its standing deposit facility rate (SDFR) and standing lending facility rate (SLFR) steady at7.00% and 8.00%, respectively. All predicted the statutory reserve ratio (SRR) would also be kept at 5.00%.

The central bank has loosened policy in several steps to boost sluggish growth after tourism and investments plummeted in Sri Lanka following deadly Easter Day bomb attacks by Islamist militants

The central bank cut rates by 100 bps in two meetings since May, reduced the SRR by 250 bps, releasing around 150 billion rupees ($832 million) of liquidity to the financial market. It also imposed caps on rupee deposit interest rates that enabled banks to reduce the cost of mobilising funds from the general public.

As a result, the commercial banks' average weighted prime lending rate (AWPR) has fallen 136 basis points as of October 2.

The Monetary Board last month ordered banks to reduce interest rates on all rupee-denominated loans by at least 200 basis points by October 15, from levels in April.

"Since the central bank's objective of reducing market lending rates are expected to take effect with lending rate caps, another rate cut is unwarranted," said Danushka Samarasinghe, CEO at Softlogic Capital Markets.

The rate cuts have already put pressure on the rupee currency, which has fallen 2.2% amid foreign outflows from government securities.

The attacks on luxury hotels and churches on April 21 killed more than 250 people, and private sector credit growth remains sluggish.

The island nation's economic growth eased to a 17-year low of 3.2% in 2018 and the IMF expects the pace to slow to 2.7% this year. A Reuters poll has predicted 2019 growth will be the lowest in nearly two decades.,

The government's finances, meanwhile, remain under pressure with a heavy external debt repayment schedule between 2019 and 2022.

Sri Lanka's central bank will likely leave its key interest rates on hold at a policy review on Friday, after a 50-basis-point cut in August, a Reuters poll showed, ahead of presidential elections and as lower bank rates go into effect.

Sri Lanka's central bank will likely leave its key interest rates on hold at a policy review on Friday, after a 50-basis-point cut in August, a Reuters poll showed, ahead of presidential elections and as lower bank rates go into effect. Central bank chief Indrajit Coomaraswamy told Reuters after the last policy rate decision that it "is extremely unlikely to reduce" the key monetary policy rates before presidential elections to be held on November 16. All 13 economists surveyed by Reuters expected the central bank of Sri Lanka to keep both its standing deposit facility rate (SDFR) and standing lending facility rate (SLFR) steady at7.00% and 8.00%, respectively. All predicted the statutory reserve ratio (SRR) would also be kept at 5.00%. The central bank has loosened policy in several steps to boost sluggish growth after tourism and investments plummeted in Sri Lanka following deadly Easter Day bomb attacks by Islamist militants The central bank cut rates by 100 bps in two meetings since May, reduced the SRR by 250 bps, releasing around 150 billion rupees ($832 million) of liquidity to the financial market. It also imposed caps on rupee deposit interest rates that enabled banks to reduce the cost of mobilising funds from the general public. As a result, the commercial banks' average weighted prime lending rate (AWPR) has fallen 136 basis points as of October 2. The Monetary Board last month ordered banks to reduce interest rates on all rupee-denominated loans by at least 200 basis points by October 15, from levels in April. "Since the central bank's objective of reducing market lending rates are expected to take effect with lending rate caps, another rate cut is unwarranted," said Danushka Samarasinghe, CEO at Softlogic Capital Markets. The rate cuts have already put pressure on the rupee currency, which has fallen 2.2% amid foreign outflows from government securities. The attacks on luxury hotels and churches on April 21 killed more than 250 people, and private sector credit growth remains sluggish. The island nation's economic growth eased to a 17-year low of 3.2% in 2018 and the IMF expects the pace to slow to 2.7% this year. A Reuters poll has predicted 2019 growth will be the lowest in nearly two decades., The government's finances, meanwhile, remain under pressure with a heavy external debt repayment schedule between 2019 and 2022.

Sri Lanka central bank seen keeping rates on hold ahead of elections

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