Sri Lankan presidential election, 2015

7th Sri Lankan presidential election

2010 ← 8 January 2015 (2015-01-08)

Turnout 81.52%   Nominee Maithripala Sirisena Mahinda Rajapaksa Party New Democratic Front Sri Lanka Freedom Party Alliance The Common Candidate United People's Freedom Alliance Home state North Central Province Southern Province States carried 12 10 Popular vote 6,217,162 5,768,090 Percentage 51.28% 47.58%

polling divisions won by ■ – Maithripala Sirisena ■ – Mahinda Rajapaksa

President before election Mahinda Rajapaksa United People's Freedom Alliance Elected President Maithripala Sirisena New Democratic Front

■ – Maithripala Sirisena ■ – Mahinda Rajapaksa

Mahinda Rajapaksa
United People's Freedom Alliance

Maithripala Sirisena
New Democratic Front

Presidential elections were held in Sri Lanka on 8 January 2015, two years ahead of schedule. The incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa was the United People's Freedom Alliance's candidate, seeking a third term in office. The United National Party (UNP)-led opposition coalition chose to field Maithripala Sirisena, the former Minister of Health in Rajapaksa's government and general secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) – the main constituent party of the UPFA – as its common candidate.

Sirisena was declared the winner after receiving 51.28% of all votes cast compared to Rajapaksa's 47.58%. The result was generally seen as a shock. When Rajapaksa called the election in November 2014 he had looked certain to win. On 11 January 2015 the new government announced a special investigation into allegations of an attempted coup by Rajapaksa.

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