Sri Lanka's president will stay neutral in the upcoming presidential election but his party will back a breakaway party candidate, front-runner Gotabaya Rajapaksa, officials said Wednesday.
Sri Lanka Freedom Party General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara said President Maithripala Sirisena has temporarily stepped aside from leading the party to ensure his neutrality. He said the decision was made because questions could arise about the impartiality of police, which Sirisena oversees.
The move is seen as an attempt by the ramshackle party to stay relevant after losing a majority of its loyalists to the breakaway Sri Lanka People's Front, which Rajapaksa is using to contest the election.
Supporters listen to Sri Lankan presidential candidate and former defense chief Gotabaya Rajapaksa during his maiden election campaign rally in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019.Sri Lanka's president will stay neutral in the upcoming presidential election but his party will back a breakaway party candidate, front-runner Gotabaya Rajapaksa, officials said Wednesday. ( AP PhotoSajeewa Chinthaka)
It is the first time that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the country's second-largest for more than six decades, has not fielded a candidate in a major national election.
Party Vice President Mahinda Samarasinghe told reporters that the decision to support Rajapaksa, a former defense chief, was made with the backdrop of the volatile security situation following Easter Sunday bomb attacks that killed more than 260 people.
"He is a proven administrator," Samarasinghe said.
Rajapaksa, who served under his brother, former strongman President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is popular among majority Sinhalese for his part in ending a long civil war against ethnic minority Tamil rebels a decade ago. He has been accused of condoning rights abuses.
Rajapaksa said at his inaugural election rally in the northwestern town of Anuradhapura on Wednesday that he will ensure the release of all soldiers being held for alleged human rights violations as soon as he is elected.
The step, if carried out, would reverse the current government's commitment to the U.N. Human Rights Council that alleged rights violations by both government soldiers and the Tamil Tiger rebels will be investigated, and courts will be set up to try suspects with the help of international prosecutors and judges.
He said he and the soldiers freed the country from the Tamil Tigers, and "a large number of soldiers who committed themselves to this cause have been falsely accused and put in prisons."
"I want to say at this moment that on the morning of Nov. 17, all of them will be freed," he said.
The decision by Sirisena's party to back Rajapaksa came after Sirisena decided not to seek reelection, apparently finding it difficult to beat Rajapaksa.
A record 35 candidates filed nominations on Monday for the Nov. 16 election, with Rajapaksa considered the favorite.
The April 21 suicide attacks by seven Muslim militants also boosted Rajapaksa's fortunes, with many people praising his wartime role against the secessionist rebels. Sri Lankan leaders and the security establishment have been under fire for not acting on near-specific intelligence reports of possible attacks ahead of the bombings.
Sirisena has said he was kept in the dark about the reports and appointed a presidential commission to investigate the lapses.
National police chief Pujith Jayasundara was suspended and former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned. Both were later arrested after the presidential commission found grounds to charge them with dereliction of duties and criminal negligence. They were released on bail but on Wednesday a higher court canceled the bail and ordered them held in detention.
Associated Press writer Krishan Francis contributed to this report.
PHOENIX (AP) — Zack Gelof tripled to key a three-run eighth and the Oakland Athletics snapped a five-game losing streak, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-4 on Friday night.
The A’s also halted an 11-game road losing streak. They hadn’t won away from home since June 1 in Atlanta and had lost 15 of their previous 18 games overall.
“Overall it was a great game," A's manager Mark Kotsay said. "We’ve hit a lot of home runs as an offense, but we haven’t built innings that way; walks, couple hits, it’s nice to see.”
Gelof was 3 for 4 with the RBI triple, a walk and a stolen base.
“The month of June has been a lot better for him and he’s finishing up really strongly," Kotsay said.
Gelof's average went from .196 to .205 on Friday. He hit .267 with 14 homers as a rookie second baseman last season, but has found it tougher in his second year.
“All around we put it together,” he said. "It just feels good to win on the road.”
Tyler Soderstrom’s home run off Ryan Thompson (3-3) leading off the eighth tied it at 4. Thompson then walked rookie Armando Alvarez before Gelof hit a line drive to the gap in right-center, scoring the go-ahead run. Max Schuemann followed by chopping a single over the head of shortstop Geraldo Perdomo to make it 6-4.
The A's hit three homers in the ninth off Brandon Hughes to put it out of reach. Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers went back-to-back, each for their 15th homers, of the season and Daz Cameron hit his third.
Scott Alexander (1-2) gave up a tie-breaking single to Ketel Marte in the seventh, but picked up the victory. Mason Miller, in a non-save situation, struck out two in the ninth to preserve the win.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit his 11th homer leading off the sixth for Arizona off JP Sears.
Arizona has lost three straight and is 1-3 on its homestand.
Diamondbacks starter Slade Cecconi threw 88 pitches in four innings, allowing three runs. He struck out seven and walked two.
“We’ve got to pitch better,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “You can’t make assumptions because the Oakland A’s are here that we’re going to beat them three games. That’s a well-run team, they got a good manager with young players that are very enthusiastic.”
Sears went six innings for Oakland, allowing five hits and three runs. Only two hits came after the first inning; he walked one and struck out six.
Sears bounced back from his previous start against Minnesota, in which he pitched just 1 1/3 innings, giving up nine hits and eight runs and hitting three batters.
Before the game, Arizona called up RHP Humberto Castellanos from Triple-A Reno and sent down RHP Scott McGough.
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Lovullo said after the game that RHP Zac Gallen will be activated from the injured list. Gallen (5-4, 3.12 ERA) has been sidelined with a right hamstring strain since he left one batter into a May 30 start against the New York Mets. Oakland’s starter will be LHP Hogan Harris (1-1, 2.72).
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Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte, left, scores ahead of a tag by Oakland Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers, right, during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 28, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Diamondbacks' Lourdes Gurriel Jr., left, scores as Oakland Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers, right, looks on for the baseball during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 28, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Slade Cecconi throws against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 28, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte, right, celebrates his double as Oakland Athletics shortstop Max Schuemann (12) holds the ball during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 28, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Oakland Athletics starting pitcher JP Sears throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 28, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte, center, avoids Oakland Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers, right, to score as umpire Alex Tosi, left, moves during the play during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 28, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Oakland Athletics' Brent Rooker, right, connects for a run-scoring single as Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Tucker Barnhart, left, reaches for the ball during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, June 28, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Oakland Athletics' Zack Gelof (20) slaps hands with teammate Shea Langeliers (23) after scoring against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, June 28, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
