Mahinda Rajapakse

The ceremony marked the start of 72-year-old Ratnasiri Wickremanayaka's third stint as prime minister. As prime minister in 2000 and again in 2001, Wickremanayaka spurned compromise with Tamil Tiger rebel officials and pushed for a military solution. Prior to his appointment, he served as deputy defense minister.

Rajapakse won the election with support from a hard-line Marxist party and a section of Sri Lanka's influential Buddhist monks by promising not to share political power with the rebels and not to give any tsunami foreign aid to the rebels to administer. He also promised to review the current truce brokered by Norway in 2002.

Elected to office on the promise of a tough line toward the separatists, Rajapakse narrowly defeated Ranil Wickremesinghe, who signed the 2002 truce and was a favored choice to revive stalled peace talks with the rebels.

The Japan Times Weekly: Nov. 26, 2005
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