Colombo: With Sri Lanka Presidential elections just a day away, election officials in the island nation are busy in sorting out the paperwork for 35 presidential candidates.
Though a record number of 35 candidates are in the fray, former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa is hopeful to lead the Rajapaksa's comeback five years after his brother and former president of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa was voted out of the office.
"Given the problems being faced today in economy, security and sovereignty, we have a set of policies that can solve these issues and we hope to implement them," Rajapaksa said.
He successfully led the government's campaign to defeat the Tamil Tigers in 2009 ending the 26-year conflict but some accuse him of disregarding human rights, allowing extrajudicial killings and cracking down on dissent during that campaign.
Questions have also been raised over Rajpaksha's eligibility with controversy over his dual nationality.
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Rajapaksa's main rival Sajith Premadasa is the deputy leader of the United National Party. He has been nominated years after being sidelined by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Premadasa has worked with rural communities for several years but will have to find out if he can appeal to voters across the country.
"I'm in a hurry for a path-breaking revolutionary development program in our country where the benefits are accrued to all and not to an exclusive family club," Premadasa said.
Incumbent president Maithripala Sirisena is not running for a second term. April Easter Sunday bombings at St. Anthony Church, which claimed 257 lives, derailed Sirisena’s presidency.
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Meanwhile, the attacks claimed by Islamic State, have revived support for the Rajapaksas and their brand of Sinhalese nationalism.
With public discontent over broken promises, Easter attack and several other issues, it will be interesting to see who will make it to the President's office.
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