Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who won the November 16 election with 52.25 % of the total votes, took oath as President of Sri Lanka, in the ancient city of Anuradhapura on Monday. In his inaugural address after being sworn in to the country's highest office, Mr. Rajapaksa underscored his government's “neutral” approach to foreign policy. Also read | Sri Lanka polls: How did the minorities vote, and why? The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP or People’s Party) candidate Mr. Rajapaksa, the seventh Executive President of Sri Lanka, campaigned intensively on a plank of enhanced national security — a prevalent concern among citizens after the Easter terror attacks in April — development and prosperity for citizens. The Tamils and Muslim minorities of the north and east, and the Malayaha Tamils living in the central parts of the island, voted largely in favour of Mr. Premadasa.

Source: The Hindu November 18, 2019 05:44 UTC