Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa set to become president after rival concedes defeat

Sunday, 17 November 2019 08:46

Sri Lanka's former wartime defence chief Gotabaya Rajapaksa is set to become president after his main rival conceded defeat on Sunday.

With half the votes counted from Saturday's election, Rajapaksa has secured 50.7 per cent, while his main rival Sajith Premadasa got 43.8 per cent.

"At the conclusion of a hard fought and spirited election campaign, It is my privilege to honour the decision of the people and congratulate Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa on his election as the seventh President of Sri Lanka," Premadasa said on Sunday.

The election commission has said results will be clear by late Sunday and a new president will be sworn in within a day.

Millions of Sri Lankans voted on Saturday, seven months after the devastating Easter Sunday suicide bombings sapped investor confidence and hurt its tourism sector.

More from International News

Homeland Security to send hundreds more officers to Minnesota

The US Department of Homeland Security is sending "hundreds" more officers to Minnesota, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in remarks that aired on Sunday, after tens of thousands of people marched through Minneapolis to protest the fatal shooting of a woman by an immigration agent.
US military targets IS in Syria strikes

The US military said on Saturday it carried out multiple strikes in Syria targeting ISIS as part of an operation that Washington launched in December after an attack on American personnel.
Israeli fire kills three people in Gaza, tension rises

Israeli fire killed at least three Palestinians in two separate incidents across Gaza, local health authorities said, as tension rises over continued violence.
Tens of thousands protest in Minneapolis over fatal ICE shooting

Tens of thousands of people marched through Minneapolis on Saturday to decry the fatal shooting of a woman by a US immigration agent, part of more than 1,000 rallies planned nationwide over the weekend against the federal government's deportation drive.
One dead in Australian bush fires

At least one person has died in Australia's southeast where bushfires raging for days have razed buildings, cut power to thousands of homes and burned swathes of bushland, police said on Sunday.

On Virgin Radio today

The Kris Fade Show
6:00am - 10:00am

Kris, Priti and Rossi host the UAE's biggest radio show. It's full of fun, laughs and it's Where The Stars Live.
The Vibe with Maz Hakim
10:00am - 2:00pm

Good vibes and loads of hit music!

Trending on Virgin Radio

If Craig David had a verse on Azizam
The legendary Craig David joins The Kris Fade Show for an unforgettable chat!
ARN News Centre
Get the latest UAE and world news from our award winning team of journalists. The ARN News Centre is the country's most trusted source of information.
Untold Dubai
It arrived: The UAE's First Mega Music Festival at Expo City Dubai!
Middle East Hot 30
Every weekend Kris Fade plays the biggest tracks in the Middle East. Check out this weeks chart...