This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-33518004

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Is Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa making a comeback? Is Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa making a comeback?
(25 days later)
Sri Lanka's former President Mahinda Rajapaksa will stand in parliamentary elections on 17 August as a candidate for the governing coalition, the Election Commission confirmed this week. Sri Lanka votes in parliamentary elections on 17 August, with two major contenders for prime minister - current PM Ranil Wickramasinghe, and defeated former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
His successor as president, Maithripala Sirisena, leads the ruling party, but failed to prevent his rival standing as one of its candidates. BBC Sinhala's Azzam Ameen looks at what is going on. Mr Rajapaksa is standing as a candidate - despite his successor as president, Maithripala Sirisena, attempting to stop him from running.
Who's in charge of the ruling party? Mr Sirisena had unseated his rival in a surprise victory in January's presidential polls - but now there is talk of Mr Rajapaksa making a comeback. BBC Sinhala's Azzam Ameen looks at what is going on.
The move to allow Mr Rajapaksa to stand for the UPFA coalition has angered millions of voters and activists who supported Mr Sirisena in his shock victory in January. Could ex-President Rajapaksa become prime minister?
Mr Sirisena took over the leadership of the governing SLFP and the UPFA coalition it heads after winning the 8 January vote. He seems to think so.
But he has now succumbed to pressure from his own party to grant Mr Rajapaksa the nomination to run for election. Mr Rajapaksa, who is running as a candidate for the UPFA (United People's Freedom Alliance) in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka's third-largest electoral district, has vowed to storm back to power in these elections.
Since becoming president, Mr Sirisena has struggled to consolidate his position within the party which is filled with politicians still loyal to Mr Rajapaksa who want to bring him back to power. He is still popular among the majority Sinhalese, many of whom remember that he was in charge when the army defeated Tamil separatists to end years of bloody civil war.
He has declined to name his rival as the party's prime ministerial hopeful, but Rajapaksa loyalists are confident their man can lay claim to the position if he and his supporters win by big margins in the polls. If he wins by a large margin, and the UPFA secure an outright majority, President Sirisena (who leads the UPFA) could be forced to name him prime minister - putting the two rivals in an uneasy cohabitation.
Rajapaksa has a safe constituency, right? In an interview with the BBC's Saroj Pathirana, Mr Rajapaksa said: "Clearly we'd secure 117 seats."
He does - in Hambantota, his power base in the south. But he's not standing there this time. The former president will run in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka's third largest electoral district, in the north-west. Is that likely?
It has a population of 1.6 million, while Hambantota is a much smaller district with a smaller population. Despite Mr Rajapaksa's high profile, many experts believe that both the UPFA, and Mr Wickramasinghe's UNP (United National Party) will struggle to gain an outright majority in the 225-member parliament.
To stake a claim for the premiership, Mr Rajapaksa must win votes in large numbers. Hambantota district will not give him those numbers. Kurunegala has many army families too, which could help him. Correspondents say that a hung parliament would favour the UNP because they have a better relationship with two smaller parties - the Tamil National Alliance and the leftist JVP (Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna) - which could allow them to form a coalition.
Failing to gain the numbers needed to become PM could leave Mr Rajapaksa humiliated on the opposition benches, playing little more than a spoiler role.
But if Mr Rajapaksa wins, the reforms Mr Sirisena has attempted to introduce could stall.
What's the history behind Sirisena and Rajapaksa?
Mr Sirisena was once one of Mr Rajapaksa's closest allies, and previously served as Mr Rajapaksa's health minister.
But he ran against Mr Rajapaksa in January's presidential elections, with the backing of several other political groups, including the main opposition UNP, who wanted to prevent Mr Rajapaksa from gaining a third term.
He also appeals to many members of Sri Lanka's Tamil, Muslim and Christian minorities who had felt increasingly marginalised under the Rajapaksa presidency.
Following his victory, Mr Sirisena took over the leadership of the UPFA, while UNP leader Ranil Wickramasinghe took the role of prime minister.
However, since becoming president, Mr Sirisena has struggled to consolidate his position within his own party - which is filled with politicians still loyal to Mr Rajapaksa.
Eventually, he succumbed to pressure from his own party to grant Mr Rajapaksa the nomination to stand for the UPFA in August's elections.
He declined to name his rival as the party's prime ministerial hopeful, but Rajapaksa loyalists are confident their man can lay claim to the position if he and his supporters win by big margins in the polls.
Has Sirisena sold out?Has Sirisena sold out?
Creating space for a political comeback by Mr Rajapaksa has irked many who voted for Mr Sirisena in January. They have called the move a "betrayal" of the mandate he obtained to defeat a man many saw as increasingly autocratic.Creating space for a political comeback by Mr Rajapaksa has irked many who voted for Mr Sirisena in January. They have called the move a "betrayal" of the mandate he obtained to defeat a man many saw as increasingly autocratic.
"He betrayed us, we never expected him to join Rajapaksa and bring back the corrupt Rajapaksa regime we defeated," civil activist Saman Rathnapriya told BBC Sinhala."He betrayed us, we never expected him to join Rajapaksa and bring back the corrupt Rajapaksa regime we defeated," civil activist Saman Rathnapriya told BBC Sinhala.
"6.2 million people voted against Rajapaksa - not for Sirisena as a person. He has destroyed all our hopes," an angry Rathnapriya said after talks aimed at denying Mr Rajapaksa the party nomination failed last week. "6.2 million people voted against Rajapaksa - not for Sirisena as a person. He has destroyed all our hopes," an angry Mr Rathnapriya said after talks aimed at denying Mr Rajapaksa the party nomination failed last week.
President Sirisena had promised not to betray the silent revolution of 8 January or to permit the restoration of one-family rule in Sri Lanka.President Sirisena had promised not to betray the silent revolution of 8 January or to permit the restoration of one-family rule in Sri Lanka.
But after a week's silence, he addressed the nation on 14 July, predicting his rival would lose in August.But after a week's silence, he addressed the nation on 14 July, predicting his rival would lose in August.
"Mahinda Rajapaksa who was defeated on 8 January will be defeated again," President Sirisena said. "I don't need to read the stars to know that, the future can be predicted based on history.""Mahinda Rajapaksa who was defeated on 8 January will be defeated again," President Sirisena said. "I don't need to read the stars to know that, the future can be predicted based on history."
He appeared wounded by the public outrage he has faced.He appeared wounded by the public outrage he has faced.
"No other president has been attacked the way I have in the past two weeks - they called me a traitor and a brute. Today you are tasting the fruits of democracy," Mr Sirisena told reporters."No other president has been attacked the way I have in the past two weeks - they called me a traitor and a brute. Today you are tasting the fruits of democracy," Mr Sirisena told reporters.
Who's going to win the election? What's the campaign been like so far?
Mahinda Rajapaksa is still popular among the majority Sinhalese, many of whom remember he was in charge when the army defeated Tamil separatists to end years of bloody civil war. The election campaigns have been relatively peaceful so far - with the exception of a shooting at a UNP campaign rally that killed one woman and injured 12.
The UNP party, whose leader is currently prime minister, will have a hard fight on its hands. Political campaigns will continue up to 14 August, before campaigning restrictions kick in.
If Mr Rajapaksa wins by a large margin in his district and the UPFA wins the island-wide vote, the president could be forced to name him prime minister. Results are expected the day after the elections, on 18 August.
That would mean an uneasy cohabitation with the man who unseated him.
But others question whether Mr Rajapaksa will have the numbers to become PM and see the election as a doomed attempt to regain power.
Defeat could see him humiliated on the opposition benches, playing little more than a spoiler role.
A win, however, could see the so-called silent revolution of 8 January come to an end.