Rajapaksa strengthens grip on power

The Sri Lankan cabinet endorsed Constitutional amendments that would pave the way for President Mahinda Rajapaksa to run for a third term.

The Sri Lankan cabinet on Monday endorsed Constitutional amendments that would pave the way for President Mahinda Rajapaksa to run for a third term.

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Under the present Constitution, Rajapaksa’s current term, his second, would be his last. But with changes in the Constitution, Rajapaksa would be eligible to stand for election at the end of his second term in 2016.

Rajapaksa first came to power in November, 2005. Then in January this year, riding a crest of popularity after the defeat of the Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009, he regained power after defeating former army chief, Sarath Fonseka.