Sri Lanka president-elect Rajapaksa a war hero to some, a polarizing figure for others

For Sri Lanka's majority Sinhalese Buddhists, president-elect Gotabaya Raja...

COLOMBO - For Sri Lanka’s majority Sinhalese Buddhists, president-elect Gotabaya Rajapaksa is best-placed to take on the hard challenge of defeating enemies of the state such as those who carried out deadly Easter Sunday attacks early this year.

Rajapaksa is the younger brother of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, and the two nationalists gave the military a free hand to crush the Tamil separatists and end a 26-year civil war that had left more than 100,000 people dead. That has raised fears of a return to a security state like that Rajapaksa created to fight the Tamils, one that could be directed against Muslims who have faced hostility from Sinhalese Buddhists hardliners ever since the attacks, say experts.

A former lieutenant colonel in the army, Rajapaksa has the image of a decisive leader who gets things done, whether it is finishing the war against insurgents or the urban redevelopment of the seaside capital Colombo when he was given that responsibility.

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