Sri Lanka's war victors vie in presidential poll

Sri Lanka's war victors vie in presidential poll When Sri Lanka's president decided two months ago to call this week's snap presidential poll, his re-election appeared assured - until his former army chief joined the race.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa's popularity within the country's Sinhalese majority was sky-high in November after government troops crushed the Tamil Tigers' decades-long insurgency, setting the stage for Tuesday's first peace-time election in decades.

However, former army chief Sarath Fonseka, who led the government troops to victory, also is considered a hero among the Sinhalese and his decision later that month to contest the election turned it into a bitter race.

There have been no reliable polls, but the campaign is believed to be close . In an ironic twist, the votes of the Tamil minority - those who suffered most from the government offensive against the rebels - may help decide who will lead this embattled island nation as it tries to rebuild after decades of conflict.

Both candidates have crisscrossed the country for two months, joining rallies, attacking each other, promising riches and reminding the population of their role in creating the country's newly found peace.

"It has been a very bitter contest in which there has been a lot of attention on the character of each candidate and not enough on their policies," said Jehan Perera, a political analyst and a newspaper columnist in Colombo.

Rajapaksa maintains his former ally Fonseka is a political novice who could eventually lead the country into a military dictatorship because of his long-term military career.

Fonseka accuses Rajapaksa of creating a nepotistic culture of cronyism, corruption and mismanagement that has led to an increase in prices and caused hardship for the people. He promises to prune the powers of the presidency and give more voice to the parliament.

They both have heavily courted the Tamils, who make up to 18 percent of Sri Lanka's 20 million people. However, neither candidate has promised to grant the community's long-standing demand for a power-sharing arrangement, one Embroidered Fabrics of the root causes of the insurgency that hobbled the country for decades.