Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa said on Tuesday he was unlikely to lead Sri Lanka’s next government as initial results from the general election gave a slight edge to the coalition government.
However, with only one of 22 districts having declared, the shape of the next parliament remains unclear and Rajapaksa’s comments stopped short of an outright concession.
Rajapaksa, 69, had served for two terms by crushing a 26-year Tamil insurgency in 2009. The nationalist ruled out joining a unity government that President Maithripala Sirisena, the figurehead of a broad reform coalition that toppled him at a presidential vote in January, wants to form.
Initial results indicated that the UNP was likely to make gains and emerge as the largest single party, but would need outside support to form a viable government to run the Indian Ocean island of 20 million people.