Divisive Sri Lanka Leader Angles for a Comeback
Divisive Sri Lanka Leader Angles for a Comeback Ex-President Rajapaksa leads ethnically charged campaign, vows closer ties to China NAULA, Sri Lanka—Flanked by saffron-robed Buddhist monks, former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa exhorted a crowd of more than a thousand supporters at a weekend election rally, saying: “We saved this country. Don’t let it be divided again.” The 69-year-old politician, ousted by voters earlier this year, is seeking a return to office —this time as prime minister—in an ethnically charged campaign mixing economic promises with warnings of resurgent terror by minority Tamils, defeated six years ago after a long civil war. If Mr. Rajapaksa and his allies win next month’s parliamentary elections, he has vowed to tighten internal security and restore strong ties with China , which wants to boost its influence in the Indian Ocean region and was a major funder of development projects undertaken by the ex-president. Lionized by the Sinhal