Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was re-elected in January defeating the common opposition candidate and former Army Chief Sarath Fonseka, will begin his second innings in office in the third week of November.
Mr. Rajapaksa told a meeting of the trade union representatives on Tuesday that after he takes oath of office and secrecy on November 19 he would announce a new government.
He indicated that his second term would be devoted to development after the military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Eelam in May 2009.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Constitution allows the President to hold election to the top post after completion of four of the six-year term. Riding on a popularity wave as a President who led the forces in the military defeat of the LTTE, Mr. Rajapaksa called for an early election. However, there were different views on when exactly the second tenure would begin. On an opinion sought by the government, the Supreme Court ruled that his fresh term would start at the end of the five years of the first six year term.
At the end of his second term in 2016 Mr. Rajapaksa can run for another term thanks to the recent passage of a Constitutional amendment by Parliament. The amendment, among other things, lifted the two term limit on the President.