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Explainer | Terminator versus pad man: for Sri Lankan voters, a tough choice
- As Sri Lanka heads to the polls, in one corner sits Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, an ex-military chief famed for crushing the Tamil Tigers
- In the other is Sajith Premadasa, the son of an assassinated president who is promising to improve menstrual hygiene
Reading Time:5 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Sri Lanka’s tumultuous past is littered with hotly contested election battles and scorching campaign rivalries. But rarely has a national poll been as closely watched as Saturday’s presidential election.
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Almost certainly, the trajectory of the country’s economy, governance and foreign relations will be determined by this poll, seen by many as the most important since the island became independent in 1948.
WHO ARE THE FAVOURITES?
The election has largely been cast as a showdown between the Sinhala Buddhist nationalist camp, led by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, a retired military chief famed for crushing the separatist Tamil Tiger movement in a 37-year conflict, and the pro-minority leanings of the incumbent United National Party, led by Sajith Premadasa.
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Both men are immediate family members of ex-presidents. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is the candidate of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, a party led by his brother, the former strongman president Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Premadasa is the son of R. Premadasa, the president who was assassinated by the Tamil Tigers in 1993.
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