MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Former leader Mahinda Rajapaksa was defeated by ex-Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena, who formed a cross-party coalition after January's presidential election. President Sirisena currently leads the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.
Rajapaksa's main supporter base is the Sinhala-speaking Buddhist majority, while his opponents have accused him of corruption, the BBC reported.
The campaign has given rise to a string of violent accidents in the country, resulting in the deaths of four people, according to local media.
On Saturday, President Sirisena pledged to hold the elections “in a free and fair manner,” according to a statement on the president’s official website.
According to the country’s Elections Department, some 15 million people are eligible to vote in Sri Lanka.
The results of the elections are expected to be announced on Tuesday.
