(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The orders came during the final hours of (Thursdays) polling.
Colombo — The Sri Lankan military refused to deploy troops around the country’s capital Colombo on election night despite requests from the former government said a spokesman of the country’s newly elected president Maithripala Sirisena on Saturday.
“The orders came during the final hours of (Thursday’s) polling... but they were refused by the army” said former minister and the spokesperson for the new government Rajitha Senaratne addressing a Press briefing. The statement was made in the presence of the military spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya who could not be contacted later.
Senaratne also said that it was the country’s army commander Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake who refused to obey the orders of deploying military around the country’s capital.
When contacted by Khaleej Times the army commander said he was “not sure” of what was said during the Press briefing and he could comment only after verifying it.
Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa whose popularity had dipped in the recent past was voted out in Thursday’s presidential poll.
Political analysts suggested a loss in the presidential polls to Rajapaksa who was criticised for his dictatorial rule could result in a military takeover. There was a climate of palpable fear in the country where people expected the former president and his powerful brother Gotabhya Rajapaksa who held the post of defence secretary to move in the military in the event Rajapaksa lost his third term presidential elections.
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