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Article: Sri Lankan prime minister claims victory in presidential election
- Article from:
- AP Worldstream
- Article date:
- November 18, 2005
- Author:
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MATTHEW ROSENBERG, Associated Press Writer
AP Worldstream
11-18-2005
Dateline: COLOMBO, Sri Lanka
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse's office claimed Friday that he has won Sri Lanka's presidential election based on unofficial returns and appealed to supporters to celebrate peacefully.
No formal announcement had been made by the election commission, which was still counting votes.
Based on partial, unofficial returns from Thursday's balloting, Rajapakse _ a hard-liner toward Tamil Tiger rebels _ had received 4.65 million votes, or 50.36 percent of the total counted, against opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe's 4.47 million, or 48.38 percent.
"He has passed the 50 percent mark," said Basil ...