Sri Lankan election - 'The tighter the race, the more violent it threatens to be'
With President Mahinda Rajapaksa's popularity fading, many expect Sri Lanka's presidential election to be a tight race. But with the increased competition comes a great risk of violence, as analyst Alan Keenan tells DW.
11.12.2014
Nearly two years ahead of schedule, Sri Lanka will go to the polls on January 8, with Rajapaksa set to run for a third term - a move widely seen as an attempt by the President to seek a fresh six-year mandate amid signs of fading popularity. Rajapaksa, who first came to power in 2005, scrapped the two-term limit on the presidency soon after winning re-election in 2010.
Nearly two years ahead of schedule, Sri Lanka will go to the polls on January 8, with Rajapaksa set to run for a third term - a move widely seen as an attempt by the President to seek a fresh six-year mandate amid signs of fading popularity. Rajapaksa, who first came to power in 2005, scrapped the two-term limit on the presidency soon after winning re-election in 2010.