Defector threatens Sri Lankan president’s bid for third term

Former health minister and ruling party No 2 to stand as united opposition candidate in January election.

Sri Lanka’s former health minister Maithripala Sirisena waves to supporters in Colombo on November 21, 2014, shortly after defecting from the ruling party and declaring himself as the common opposition candidate to challenge President Mahinda Rajapaksa in January elections. Ishara S Kodikara / AFPShow less

COLOMBO // Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa faced a serious setback in his quest for a third term on Friday as his health minister quit to challenge him in upcoming elections.

The defection of Maithripala Sirisena, who is also No 2 in the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party, poses the biggest threat to Mr Rajapaksa since he came to power nine years go. He is still popular after leading a military campaign to end a 25-year civil war against Tamil Tiger rebels, but the erosion of support from within his own party is unprecedented.

Mr Sirisena left the government with three other ministers and member of parliament, saying he had been chosen as the combined opposition’s presidential candidate.

Mr Rajapaksa, 69, on Thursday announced he was seeking a third term, two years before his second term ends.

Sri Lanka’s election commission on Friday scheduled the presidential election for January 8.

Mr Rajapaksa, 69, came to power in 2005 and won a second six-year term in 2010 on a wave of popularity after the Tamil separatists were defeated.

Mr Sirisena’s announcement is the culmination of a long simmering discontent among party seniors over Mr Rajapaksa’s family politics.

Mr Sirisena accused Mr Rajapaksa’s administration of concentrating all power in his family and taking the country towards authoritarianism.

“After the war victory, the present government started veering in a direction that none of us expected,” Mr Sirisena told reporters flanked by his colleagues and former president Chandrika Kumaratunga.

“Looking at the path that the country’s leadership and the administration travel, the country is heading toward a beatific autocracy. Elections are held; concessions are given; development takes place, [but] behind a smiling face are many things that the people and we can’t approve of,” he said.

“Corruption irregularities, malpractices, injustices are rampant under this government. The rule of law has collapsed,” he said.

“One family has captured the country’s economy, wealth, administration and the management of the political party.”

Since taking office, Mr Rajapaksa has given his family and friends more say in governance and significant control over the national budget. One Rajapaksa brother is the powerful minister of economic development, another is the parliament speaker and a third is the defence secretary. The president’s elder son is a member of parliament, a nephew heads a provincial government and other relatives and friends are in the bureaucracy and the diplomatic service.

Mr Sirisena promised to abolish the country’s powerful presidency within 100 days of coming to office and take the country back to a government headed by a prime minister that was prevalent before 1978.

He promised also to set up independent bodies to appoint judges, police chiefs and others.

The country’s presidential system has been criticised for giving the holder too much power with too little accountability.

Mr Rajapaksa promised twice to abolish the system but made use of his overwhelming support in parliament four years ago to scrap a two-term limit for presidency and to ensure the country’s highest court was full of his appointees. The court said earlier this month his pursuit of a third term was legal.

“The 18th amendment is a serious mistake,” Mr Sirisena said of the constitutional change that lifted term limits.

The others who quit the cabinet on Friday were the fisheries minister Rajitha Senaratne, education services minister Duminda Dissanayake, the Buddhist affairs deputy minister M K D S Gunawardena and MP Rajiva Wijesinghe. Another MP defected on Thursday.

Associated Press and Ruters