Economist,  Thu Jan 21 20:53:08 EST 2010

    THE presidential election in Sri Lanka on January 26th should have been a cakewalk for the incumbent. Last May, when his government defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, bringing an end to a .. 26-year insurgency, President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s popularity among the island’s Sinhalese majority knew no bounds. As for the Tamil minority, thwarted of the independent homeland for which the Tigers had been fighting, it was, at just 12% of the 21m population, too small to sway an election. Yet, as an ugly and at times violent election season nears its end, the outcome is now on a knife-edge. Despite the advantages of incumbency—such as fawning state-controlled media—the main challenger, Sarath Fonseka, might yet sneak home. Whoever wins, the prospects for a decent settlement for the Tamils, most of whom shunned the Tigers but nurture legitimate grievances, seem remote.
Full Story


_________________
- The Academic

Quote:

If Sri Lanka’s next president wants to rule a stable and prosperous country, his first priority should be to take steps to turn military victory into a political settlement that ensures lasting peace.

MR already lost this opportunity considerable time has passed since May 2009!