Maithripala Sirisena has decided not to seek reelection next month. Meanwhile, the 35 candidates for the presidency are the most ever in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka has been trapped in a bitter power feud since Maithripala Sirisena sacked and replaced Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe with Mahinda Rajapaksa , a controversial former strongman leader.
He has been accused of condoning rape, torture and the shadowy disappearances of critics, but is considered a hero among ethnic majority Sinhalese for his role in defeating the Tamil Tiger rebels. He also promised to take action against the Rajapaksa family, whom he accused of corruption and abuse of power.
Instead of abolishing the presidential system, Sirisena only diluted its powers. Under pressure from the Rajapaksa camp, he announced that he would not allow any government soldiers to be punished for alleged war abuses, despite having promised the UN Human Rights Council to investigate and prosecute suspects.
Sirisena's failure to prevent suicide bomb attacks on Easter Sunday triggered public anger against him. The suicide blasts, blamed on two local groups inspired by Daesh, killed more than 260 people at three churches and three hotels. Though Sirisena's political future looks bleak, he is holding talks with the Rajapaksas in the hope of gaining a political position in exchange for the votes of his supporters.
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