COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s former leader Mahinda Rajapaksa was on Monday formally accepted as a candidate to stand in upcoming parliamentary elections six months after losing a presidential vote, officials said.
Rajapaksa, 69, entered the fray from the north-central district of Kurunegala after abandoning his home constituency of sparsely populated Hambantota in the island’s deep south, officials said.
“The former president is topping the list of candidates from Kurunegala,” an election official said. “He was not present, but another candidate submitted his nomination which was accepted.”
He secured a ticket to represent his United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) for a seat in the 225-member assembly.
Some 15 million people are eligible to vote at the August 17 election held under a system of proportional representation.
Rajapaksa gets elections nod
Rajapaksa gets elections nod
