SRI LANKA-ELECTION/WICKREMESINGHE-FILE Wickremesinghe leading in opinion poll before Sri Lankan parliamentary election

Record ID: 143959

  • Title: SRI LANKA-ELECTION/WICKREMESINGHE-FILE Wickremesinghe leading in opinion poll before Sri Lankan parliamentary election
  • Date: 14th August 2015
  • Summary: COLOMBO, SRI LANKA (FILE - MARCH 30, 2004) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) WICKREMESINGHE WAVING FROM STAGE
  • Embargoed: 29th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA44LOA2X0CNZKXTKHVUOT7TGZA
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL THAT WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
    Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa is trailing his main rival Ranil Wickremesinghe in a prime ministerial elections later this month, the latest national opinion poll showed, as the once-powerful leader struggles to mount a strong campaign.
    Wickremesinghe has been prime minister of Sri Lanka since January 9, 2015 and is leader of both the United National Party and United National Front.
    Rajapaksa, ousted by former ally Maithripala Sirisena in a presidential election in January, is now seeking to turn the tables at the August 17 parliamentary polls, but is being dogged by allegations of abuse of power and sleaze.
    His party said his campaign has also been hobbled by a lack of security for a leader who crushed a 26-year insurgency by ethnic Tamil rebels in 2009, which won him a support among majority Sinhalese but has made him unpopular among Tamils.
    Nearly 40 percent of voters surveyed at the end of the last month said Wickremesinghe was the best man for the job and only 27.5 percent chose Rajapaksa, the Center for Policy Analysis, which conducted the poll, said.
    The survey across all 25 districts of the island nation showed Tamil and Muslim voters stood solidly behind Wickremesinghe, the leader of the United National Party-led coalition.
    Rajapaksa held the edge among mostly Buddhist Sinhalese, winning the support of 36 percent against Wickremesinghe's 31.9 percent.
    President Sirisena has criticized Rajapaksa's comeback bid and said he allowed him to run in the general election to avert a split in their Sri Lanka Freedom Party.
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