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Sunday, November 17, 2019

Gotabaya Rajapaksa wins Sri Lanka election Sunday Nov 17,2019

Gotabaya Rajapaksa has won the Sri Lankan presidential election after a closely fought race against ruling party candidate Sajith Premadasa, with the country's Election Commission declaring him the winner on Sunday Nov 17,2019

"I would like to inform everyone that I will execute everything you trusted in me [to do]," Rajapaksa said at the results announcement, flanked by his brother Mahinda, a former two-time president. 

"Especially, at this moment, I happily say that I will carry out all that is in my manifesto during my tenure."

Rajapaksa, a former defence secretary during Mahinda's 10 years in power, based his campaign for Saturday's election on providing strong leadership on national security issues, following coordinated bombings in April that killed 269 people.

Potential standoff with Parliament

Rajapaksa has said he will name his brother Mahinda prime minister in his government. Sri Lanka operates a semi-presidential form of government, where the president, prime minister and cabinet share executive authority.

Current Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, chief of Premadasa's UNP, has not indicated whether he will resign following his party's defeat. At least three cabinet ministers resigned from their posts on Sunday Nov 17,2019

As things stand, the UNP will remain in control of Parliament until at least February, when the president can constitutionally dissolve the body ahead of a general election. Alternately, Parliament can vote to dissolve itself, prompting a snap election.

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