Colombo, January 27: Sri Lanka’s presidential challenger Sarath Fonseka on Wednesday sought protection of a “neighbouring country” to guarantee his safety, his spokesman Mano Ganeshan said.
“I am going to meet a diplomat of a neighbouring country to seek assurances of the safety of Sarath Fonseka,” Ganeshan told reporters in an apparent reference to India.
Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse was set for re-election Wednesday after counting showed he had secured more than 50 percent of total votes cast in a bitterly fought election.
With nearly 85 percent of the 9.84 million ballots counted, official results released by the Elections Commissioner gave Rajapakse 4.99 million votes against 3.39 million for his main challenger, former army chief Fonseka.
—Agencies