Colombo, Nov 17 (UNI) Former defence minister Gotabaya Rajapaksa will be sworn in as new President of Sri Lanka on Monday after he was declared elected in Saturday's presidential polls.
Elections Commission head Mahinda Deshapriya on Sunday said Rajapaksa won as he secured over 6 million or over 52 percent of the votes.
His main rival and government minister Sajith Premadasa received 41.99 per cent votes, the Commission said.
The president-elect in a message on Twitter said Sri Lanka has embarked on a "new journey" and all Sri Lankans are part of this journey.
"As we usher in a new journey for Sri Lanka, we must remember that all Sri Lankans are part of this journey.
I am grateful for the opportunity to be the President, not only of those who voted for me, but as the President of all Sri Lankans. The trust you have invested in me is deeply moving and being your president will be the greatest honour of my life -Let’s put our vision into action!"
His Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party sources said Rajapaksa would be worn-in as the seventh president of Sri Lanka on Monday morning in Anuradhapura.
In New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Rajapaksa on his victory and said he looked orward to working closely with him for deepening the close ties between our two countries and citizens, and for peace, prosperity as well as security in our region.
In reply, Rajapaksa thanked Modi and said that he also was looking forward to meeting him in the near future and strengthening friendship beteween the two countries.
"I thank Prime Minister @narendramodi and the people of India for your warm wishes. Our two nations are bound by history and common beliefs and I look forward to strengthening our friendship and meeting you in the near future," he said in a Twitter post.
The trend during counting of votes showed sharp polarization along community lines, unprecedented in Sri Lankan history.
Gotabaya, brother of former President Mahinda Rajapksa and who served as defence secretary during the end of war against LTTE, got overwhelming support in majority Sinhala-dominated areas of the island's south.
Premadasa received wide support from minority areas in the north and east.
UNI SRJ