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| Sri Lanka elections: Rajapaksa hopes for comeback | Sri Lanka elections: Rajapaksa hopes for comeback |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Sri Lankans are going to the polls in a general election, with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa aiming to return to office as prime minister. | |
| Mr Rajapaksa lost the presidency in a snap election in January to Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena. | Mr Rajapaksa lost the presidency in a snap election in January to Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena. |
| Four people have died in violent incidents during the campaign although monitors say there has been less violence than in previous years. | Four people have died in violent incidents during the campaign although monitors say there has been less violence than in previous years. |
| Fifteen million people are eligible to vote, with results expected on Tuesday. | Fifteen million people are eligible to vote, with results expected on Tuesday. |
| Polls opened at 07:00 local time (01:30 GMT) and will close at 16:00. | |
| Mr Rajapaksa is seeking to return as prime minister of a government led by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. President Sirisena, who now leads the party, has threatened to veto the move. | Mr Rajapaksa is seeking to return as prime minister of a government led by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. President Sirisena, who now leads the party, has threatened to veto the move. |
| The former president, who is 69, is thought of as a hero by many of Sri Lanka's Sinhala-speaking Buddhist majority for crushing a 26-year Tamil uprising in 2009. | The former president, who is 69, is thought of as a hero by many of Sri Lanka's Sinhala-speaking Buddhist majority for crushing a 26-year Tamil uprising in 2009. |
| But opponents accuse him of running a corrupt, brutal and dynastic regime - charges he denies. | But opponents accuse him of running a corrupt, brutal and dynastic regime - charges he denies. |
| Ethnic tensions between the majority Sinhalese and the Tamil minority were the driving force behind a long and bitter civil war in the country. | Ethnic tensions between the majority Sinhalese and the Tamil minority were the driving force behind a long and bitter civil war in the country. |
| The conflict ended in May 2009 after more than 25 years of violence but recriminations over abuses by both sides continue. | The conflict ended in May 2009 after more than 25 years of violence but recriminations over abuses by both sides continue. |
| Shock defeat | Shock defeat |
| Mr Sirisena, 63, formed a cross-party coalition to defeat Mr Rajapaksa in January, led by the United National Party (UNP). | Mr Sirisena, 63, formed a cross-party coalition to defeat Mr Rajapaksa in January, led by the United National Party (UNP). |
| Having left his position as health minister in Mr Rajapaksa's government, he led the coalition to a shock victory over the incumbent president. | Having left his position as health minister in Mr Rajapaksa's government, he led the coalition to a shock victory over the incumbent president. |
| In a letter leaked during the campaign, Mr Sirisena accused Mr Rajapaksa of holding the party "hostage" and ruled out naming him prime minister. | |
| The current president has also used his power as party leader to purge Rajapaksa loyalists from key posts in recent days. | The current president has also used his power as party leader to purge Rajapaksa loyalists from key posts in recent days. |
| "We all united and voted against Rajapaksa to send him into retirement," Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said at his last campaign stop on Friday night. | "We all united and voted against Rajapaksa to send him into retirement," Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said at his last campaign stop on Friday night. |
| "If he hasn't got the message, we should unite to make sure he understands it now." | "If he hasn't got the message, we should unite to make sure he understands it now." |