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WORLD NEWS Monday 12 august 2019
Former Sri Lankan strongman's brother to run for president

By KRISHAN FRANCIS acted to Gotabaya's can-
Associated Press didacy, with Finance Minis-
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) ter Mangala Samaraweera
— Nandasena Gotabaya tweeting, "Do #SriLankans
Rajapaksa, who was a want to return to the isola-
livewire in Sri Lanka's mili- tion and darkness of the
tary campaign to end a past?"
long civil war but faces al- Sri Lanka must hold the
legations of human rights presidential election be-
violations, was nominated tween Nov. 8 and Dec. 8.
Sunday as the opposition's Incumbent President Mai-
candidate for the presiden- thripala Sirisena's first term
tial election to be held later ends on Jan. 8.
this year. Gotabaya's candidacy will
Gotabaya, a brother of for- likely put Sirisena in a quan-
mer strongman President dary in seeking a second
Mahinda Rajapaksa, was a term because the Sri Lanka
powerful defense bureau- People's Front is an offshoot
crat under his brother's gov- of the Sri Lanka Freedom
ernment, which defeated Party, which Sirisena leads.
the Tamil Tiger rebels' 26- Many Freedom Party mem-
year insurgency in 2009. bers have sided with the
Rajapaksa announced Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, left, and former Defense Secretary and his Rajapaksa brothers.
his brother's candidacy to brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa wave to supporters during a party convention held to announce No other party has put for-
cheering supporters at a the presidential candidacy in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019. ward a presidential candi-
rally in Colombo, the South Associated Press date yet.q
Asian island nation's capi-
tal. Earlier at the rally, Raja- Gotabaya was also impli-
paksa was named leader cated in the killing of rebels
of the Sri Lanka People's and civilians who tried to
Front, under which Got- surrender with white flags
abaya will contest. under a pre-arranged deal
"I thought of a man who is in the final days of the civil
sought by the country's his- war. Ethnic Tamils say they
tory to build a future," Raja- handed over their children
paksa told the gathering. for investigations at the re-
"Whether I chose or not, he quest of the military but did
has become your brother, not see them again.
whether I chose him or not, According to a U.N report,
he has already won your some 45,000 Tamil civil-
hearts." ians were killed in the last
"I hand over my brother as months of the war alone.
a brother to you. He is no After the war's end, Go-
other, he is Gotabaya," Ra- tabaya also took up the
japaksa said. extra role of city develop-
Gotabaya is a hero to many ment in which he used the
majority Sinhalese, who see military to evict people
him as a prospective strong from their homes for land
leader, but is feared by mi- acquisition.
norities and victims of hu- In his speech on Sunday,
man rights abuses. Gotabaya said he has al-
As secretary of defense ways strived to fulfill his du-
ministry under his brother's ties to his best and in doing
rule, Gotabaya played a so he has never been con-
key role in ending the Tamil fined to laid-out norms. He
Tigers' campaign for an in- will follow the same philoso-
dependent state for ethnic phy even as president, he
minority Tamils. But he was said.
accused of using extrale- "In fulfilling my duties for
gal methods and cracking the country I have never
down on those who criti- allowed room for any for-
cized his style. eign forces to interfere," he
Gotabaya was accused said. "Even in the future I will
of running abduction never allow anyone to lay
squads known as "white hands on the country's sov-
van" squads that whisked ereignty."
away rebel suspects and In his years at the defense
journalists deemed to be ministry, Gotabaya was
overly critical. Some of the known to be a straight
abductees were released speaker on foreign rela-
after torture, while others tions.
were never seen again. The government quickly re-