Rajapaksa, the campaign front-runner and former defense secretary under his brother, ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa, pledged to restore security to the Indian Ocean island nation still recovering from Islamic State-inspired attacks last Easter that killed 269 people. The second-largest group is ethnic Tamil Hindus at 12.6%, while 10% are Muslims and 8% are Christian. Premadasa swept the majority Tamil and Muslim districts in the country’s north and east, winning as much as 80% of the vote. Sinhala Buddhists votes usually don’t vote as a bloc, unlike Sri Lankan minorities who have supported whatever party espoused policies comparatively favorable to them. Rajapaksa will inherit a tourism-dependent economy still recovering from the blasts, the first attack in Sri Lankan history targeting foreigners.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer November 17, 2019 11:37 UTC