Thaindian News

Colombo, Jan 27 (IANS) Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has extended his lead over his main rival former army chief General Sarath Fonseka in the presidential election as heavily armed troops Wednesday surrounded the hotel where the general was staying.
With over a million votes counted by 6 a.m. Rajapaksa had recorded 689,261 or 60.01 percent against Fonseka’s 442,292 or 38.51 percent, Xinhua news agency reported.

As the votes were being counted, soldiers surrounded the hotel where Fonseka was staying.

BBC reported that armed troops were stationed outside the Cinnamon Lakeside hotel, searching every vehicle that enters.

Fonseka is quoted as saying the troops plan to arrest him if he wins the election. A military spokesman has denied these claims.

The island’s sixth presidential election was held largely free of violence Tuesday with a turnout estimated to be over 70 percent.

The department of elections said 14,088,500 Sri Lankans were eligible to cast their votes at 11,098 polling station from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. to choose their next president mainly from Rajapaksa and Fonseka, though there are 22 candidates.

Rajapaksa called the election two years ahead of schedule to capitalise on his popularity among the majority Sinhalese after ending the island’s bloody ethnic conflict.

Fonseka, who commanded the Army to defeat the rebels from 2006 to 2009, is equally credited for the victory.