(April 10, 2010) Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa, whose party cemented his
political dominance by winning a majority in parliamentary elections, promised on
Saturday to bring peace and prosperity to a nation battered by decades of civil war.
Rajapaksa said in a statement that his party's victory in Thursday's elections encourages
the government's policies on “peace and reconciliation, reconstruction, greater infrastructure
development.” The United States embassy said in a statement that the election victory
provides Rajapaksa a mandate to address power sharing and human rights issues. Rajapaksa
has yet to follow up on a promise made after last year's defeat of the Tamil Tiger
rebels to discuss a power-sharing deal with the Tamils, more than 200,000 of whom
remain displaced by the war. Rajapaksa won re-election as president in polls three
months ago, riding on his popularity following the end of the decades-long civil war.
His party held a majority in the outgoing Parliament. With 45 seats still undeclared
Saturday, Rajapaksa's United People's Freedom Alliance had secured 117 seats in Thursday's
election - enough for a simple majority in the 225-seat Parliament and to form a government.
It is uncertain whether Rajapaksa's coalition can secure the two-thirds majority needed
to change the constitution - which could open the way for an amendment to allow the
president to serve beyond the end of his second term in 2017.