6:30 pm: Maithripala Sirisena today took oath as Srilanka’s new President, decisively defeating Mahinda Rajapaksa in an election the incumbent scheduled two years ahead of time hoping an easy win.
Modi, President Pranab congratulate Sirisena
3. 40 pm: Pranab Mukherjee congratulates Sirisena
President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday congratulated Maithripala Sirisena on his election as President of Sri Lanka.
In his message on micro-blogging site Twitter, Mukherjee said he is confident that in coming years, both countries will continue to work together to further strengthen bilateral relations.
“Congratulations and warm felicitations to Mr Maithripala Sirisena on his election as President of Sri Lanka. Best wishes for success of endeavors for peace and development in Sri Lanka and for progress and prosperity of its people,” Mukherjee said.
2. 25 pm: Majoritarian politics has a limited shelf-life, says Congress
The Congress party today said Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajpaksa’s defeat shows that “majoritarian politics” has a limited shelf life.
“The Sri Lankan presidential election results tell you that majoritarian politics has a limited shelf-life. Finally,
the majority rejects it”, party spokesman Sanjay Jha tweeted.
In another tweet, he said “President Rajapaksa was intoxicated with arrogance. Elections were preponed to 2015 (=8), and held on “8”th Jan for superstitious reasons.
“Mr Modi has an absolute majority for 5 years. And yet within 7 months, the NDA govt looks tired, weak, insecure, effete, ill-equipped”, he said in another tweet.
In the biggest political shake-up in Sri Lanka in over a decade, opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena today trounced President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the tightest-ever presidential race, ending his 10-year-rule.
1. 08 pm: Modi invites new Sri Lanka President Sirisena to India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written a letter to President-elect Sirisena and invited him to visit India. The Prime Minister said that he looks forward to receiving him in India.
11.00 am: We respect the voice of people, tweets Namal Rajapaksa
Meanwhile, Rajapaksa’s son Namal Rajapaksa tweeted that he respected the voice of people and Sri Lanka’s great democracy.
