Rajapaksa, whose government was accused of atrocities and corruption in the final years of Sri Lanka’s civil war, maintains popularity among Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese ethnic majority group, who credit him with ending the 25-year conflict with the ethnic minority Tamil rebels. Here are some events in Sri Lanka’s recent political history leading up to the current crisis:——2005November: Then-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa wins presidential elections. ——2016November: Loyalists to Rajapaksa form a party with Rajapaksa considered its proxy leader. October: Sri Lanka’s foreign minister resigns amid accusations ofpossessing a luxury apartment paid for by a businessman investigated for shady Treasury bond transactions. February: Rajapaksa’s party sweeps local elections in a major blow to Sirisena’s 3-year-old government.

Source: National Post October 29, 2018 06:11 UTC