Mahinda bows out after pre-dawn transition talks

Saturday, 10 January 2015 04:03 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Holds meeting with UPFA parliamentary group at Presidential Secretariat
Will keep SLFP leadership for the moment
Informs group that Cabinet will be stepping down
Mahinda’s concession a return to former democratic self in final hours: analysts

By Dharisha Bastians Outgoing President Mahinda Rajapaksa conceded defeat in the early hours of Friday, bringing a sudden end to his nine-year reign as Sri Lanka’s head of state. Presidential Media Director Vijayananda Herath notified the media that President Rajapaksa left his official residence Temple Trees at 6:30 a.m. with barely a third of the total vote counted. The ousted President held pre-dawn talks with Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe about ensuring a smooth handover and a peaceful transition of power. Herath said the outgoing President would bow to the verdict of the people. Rajapaksa was vacating his residence in order to allow the new President to assume duties, the media director said. At Wickremesinghe’s meeting at Temple Trees, apart from President Rajapaksa, his two brothers Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa as well as Chief Justice Mohan Peiris were also present. Pictures emerged of President Rajapaksa leaving his residence suddenly last morning. In the final verdict, President Rajapaksa lost Thursday’s presidential election by 449,072 or 47.97% of the vote. After completing four years of his second term in office, President Rajapaksa took a gamble and called a snap poll two years ahead of schedule. Sirisena campaign aides told Daily FT that the Opposition had been in talks with the Rajapaksa regime over the past several days to discuss a dignified exit plan for the President and his family. A peaceful transition was foremost in the minds of key Sirisena campaign strategists as concerns were raised that the powerful regime could refuse to step down in the event of defeat. “Mahinda is a very complex human being,” Prof. Jayadeva Uyangoda, political scientist told Daily FT. As a ruler, Mahinda Rajapaksa was an autocratic, macho strongman, Prof. Uyangoda said. “His peaceful exit yesterday was quite contrary to the kind of image he has built up, especially in the last five years of his term,” he added. Professor Uyangoda said Rajapaksa’s peaceful handover was more a return to his previous democratic self. “He probably knew that if he didn’t hand over there would be a threat of resistance and violence. So he may have been thinking also about his future and his family and positioning himself for the political future,” the political scientist explained. At 8 a.m. yesterday President Rajapaksa met the UPFA parliamentary group that still holds a majority in the Parliament. The outgoing leader told his MP group that they would allow president-elect Maithripala Sirisena to take office. The Cabinet would step down, he said, according to UPFA sources. Rajapaksa told the group that the UPFA would study the new President’s policies and decide on whether to render support in Parliament. He would retain the SLFP leadership, Rajapaksa intimated. Reports said Ministers were overwhelmed emotionally at the meeting. Many of them worshipped the outgoing president at their last meeting.

Mahinda congratulates Maithripala

Outgoing President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday spoke over the phone to presidential candidate of the New Democratic Front Maithripala Sirisena and congratulated him on his victory. President Rajapaksa, after a discussion with Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Cabinet, conveyed his wish to let the new President take over without any hindrance. Accordingly, President Mahinda Rajapaksa left Temple Trees at 6.30 a.m. respecting the people’s decision and assuring a smooth transfer of power.