Sri Lanka minister defects to challenge president

November 22, 2014 00:00:00

SRI LANKA : Sri Lanka\'s Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena smiles as he speaks with health workers in Colombo Friday, while leaving a meeting marking the recruitment of new employees. — AFP

COLOMBO, Nov 21 (AFP): A senior minister quit Sri Lanka's ruling party Friday to stand as the main opposition's candidate in upcoming elections as he accused President Mahinda Rajapakse of turning the country into a dictatorship.

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena, who is also general secretary in Rajapakse's Sri Lanka Freedom Party, said he was confident of victory in January's presidential election when he will stand as the main opposition United National Party's candidate.

"I thank the UNP for choosing me as the common opposition candidate," said Sirisena, in what represents a stunning blow to Rajapakse's authority.

"I am grateful to the UNP for choosing the general secretary of the SLFP to be their candidate," he added. "We will definitely win."

Sirisena made his announcement at a press conference in Colombo-sat alongside three other ministers and former Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumaratunga, the main patron of the president's party, in a show of support for the new opposition candidate.

Rajapakse, who came to power in 2005, declared Thursday that he will seek an unprecedented third term as president-a move that was only made possible after he pushed through changes to the constitution.

While Rajapakse remains generally popular with majority Sinhalese voters after overseeing the end of a 37-year war against Tamil separatists in 2009, critics say he has become increasingly authoritarian.

"The country is heading towards a dictatorship," said 63-year-old Sirisena, who also accused the president of nepotism.

"The entire economy and every aspect of society is controlled by one family."

The president's brothers include the speaker of parliament Chamal Rajapakse, the economic development minister Basil Rajapakse and the powerful defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse.

His eldest son Namal is a lawmaker and heads the SLFP's youth wing.

"Corruption is rampant, there is no rule of law," added Sirisena who promised to reverse the constitutional amendments brought in under Rajapakse which have increased the powers of the president.