Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa has hailed his brother Gotabaya’s victory in the island’s presidential elections and said it was a defeat of the ‘“2015 style attempt to […] to purloin the mandate of the people through backroom deals with various chauvinistic ethnic and religious groupings organised through narrow political agendas.”

The Elections Commission declared Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) presidential candidate, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, as the new President. 

Elections Commission Chairman, Mahinda Deshapriya, formally announced that Gotabaya was the winner of the 2019 Sri Lankan Presidential election. Gotabaya secured 52% of the vote with a total of 6,924,255 votes. The SLPP said that Gotabaya will take his oaths tomorrow in Anuradhapura. 

Sri Lanka’s former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has claimed victory in Saturday’s presidential election, according to early reports.

As counting continues across the island, with many districts still to release their results, Rajapaksa reportedly released a statement asking his supporters “to celebrate the victory peacefully”.

Update: 03:30 GMT - Jaffna

As votes continue to be counted across the island, Sri Lanka's former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa seems to have taken an early lead against Sajith Premadasa, despite a large turnout in the Tamil North-East.

Results in Tamil districts so far show an overwhelming vote for Sajith Premadasa. 

However, in the Sinhala south, Rajapaksa has won over key districts, with many regions still to be declared.

British Tamils rallied in solidarity with Tamil families of the disappeared across the North-East as they mark 1000 days in their roadside protest. 

The rally, held outside Downing Street, saw British Tamils gather, chanting slogans and holding placards denouncing the Sri Lankan government’s inaction and broken promises.

The international human rights organisation Front Line Defenders has issued an urgent appeal against the targeting of human rights lawyer and head of law at Jaffna University, Dr Kumaravadivel Guruparan.

As votes are being counted for Sri Lanka’s presidential election, turnout reached as high as 83% percent in some of the Tamil districts in the North-East, according to early figures.

See turnout figures from districts in the North-East below.

A Tamil man was stabbed and other Tamil voters attacked in Kegalle, as voting took place across the island in Sri Lanka’s presidential elections.

The attack has led to tension in the Deraniyagala and led to at least one person being admitted to hospital. The stabbing reportedly occurred after a group of unknown persons broke into a house, whilst others were attacked after refusing to vote for a specific candidate.

Polls in Sri Lanka’s presidential elections has now officially closed, with tens of thousands of Tamils across the North-east having cast their votes.

Turnout was reportedly above 50% across many districts in the North-East, as votes begin to get counted. 

Across the island, turnout is expected to be at around 80%.