Mahinda set to be the next president

Nov 18 (LankaWatch.com) With the results of 4 polling divisions yet to be released, Mahinda Rajapaksha has taken a secure lead in the Sri Lankan presidential elections by over 200,000 votes. Ranil Wickramasinghe, who earlier in the day with half the votes counted threatened to narrow Mahinda's lead, is in the second position with his chances of becoming the next president looking extremely unlikely. Mahinda Rajapaksha has already claimed victory in the 5th presidential elections of Sri Lanka. The voter turnout has been a record high in some of the southern and western polling divisions while the minority Tamil areas of the island has experienced a near boycott.