Sri Lanka's president will stay neutral in the upcoming presidential election but his party will back a breakaway party candidate, front-runner Gotabaya Rajapaksa, officials said Wednesday.
Sri Lanka Freedom Party General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara said President Maithripala Sirisena has temporarily stepped aside from leading the party to ensure his neutrality. He said the decision was made because questions could arise about the impartiality of police, which Sirisena oversees.
The move is seen as an attempt by the ramshackle party to stay relevant after losing a majority of its loyalists to the breakaway Sri Lanka People's Front, which Rajapaksa is using to contest the election.
Supporters listen to Sri Lankan presidential candidate and former defense chief Gotabaya Rajapaksa during his maiden election campaign rally in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019.Sri Lanka's president will stay neutral in the upcoming presidential election but his party will back a breakaway party candidate, front-runner Gotabaya Rajapaksa, officials said Wednesday. ( AP PhotoSajeewa Chinthaka)
It is the first time that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the country's second-largest for more than six decades, has not fielded a candidate in a major national election.
Party Vice President Mahinda Samarasinghe told reporters that the decision to support Rajapaksa, a former defense chief, was made with the backdrop of the volatile security situation following Easter Sunday bomb attacks that killed more than 260 people.
"He is a proven administrator," Samarasinghe said.
Rajapaksa, who served under his brother, former strongman President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is popular among majority Sinhalese for his part in ending a long civil war against ethnic minority Tamil rebels a decade ago. He has been accused of condoning rights abuses.
Rajapaksa said at his inaugural election rally in the northwestern town of Anuradhapura on Wednesday that he will ensure the release of all soldiers being held for alleged human rights violations as soon as he is elected.
The step, if carried out, would reverse the current government's commitment to the U.N. Human Rights Council that alleged rights violations by both government soldiers and the Tamil Tiger rebels will be investigated, and courts will be set up to try suspects with the help of international prosecutors and judges.
He said he and the soldiers freed the country from the Tamil Tigers, and "a large number of soldiers who committed themselves to this cause have been falsely accused and put in prisons."
"I want to say at this moment that on the morning of Nov. 17, all of them will be freed," he said.
The decision by Sirisena's party to back Rajapaksa came after Sirisena decided not to seek reelection, apparently finding it difficult to beat Rajapaksa.
A record 35 candidates filed nominations on Monday for the Nov. 16 election, with Rajapaksa considered the favorite.
The April 21 suicide attacks by seven Muslim militants also boosted Rajapaksa's fortunes, with many people praising his wartime role against the secessionist rebels. Sri Lankan leaders and the security establishment have been under fire for not acting on near-specific intelligence reports of possible attacks ahead of the bombings.
Sirisena has said he was kept in the dark about the reports and appointed a presidential commission to investigate the lapses.
National police chief Pujith Jayasundara was suspended and former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned. Both were later arrested after the presidential commission found grounds to charge them with dereliction of duties and criminal negligence. They were released on bail but on Wednesday a higher court canceled the bail and ordered them held in detention.
Associated Press writer Krishan Francis contributed to this report.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Las Vegas Stadium Authority approved lease, non-relocation and development documents Thursday to clear the last major hurdles for the Athletics to construct a $1.75 billion stadium on the Strip and bring Major League Baseball to the expanding sports market.
The lease and non-relocation agreements each cover 30 years.
“It’s a really significant day in Las Vegas," Steve Hill, CEO and president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said in his closing remarks. "Today’s a real milestone. I think we should recognize that and celebrate that.”
That drew applause from most of those attendance.
“It's really an exciting day for the A's,” team board member Sandy Dean said. “We're grateful to everybody that helped us be here today.”
Other details remain to be worked out, such as a development agreement with Clark County, but groundbreaking likely will take place in the spring to allow a scheduled opening for the 2028 season.
Dean said talks with the county were in the early stages.
“Clark County has been very receptive to our timeline,” Dean said.
The cost for the A's stadium has risen by $250 million because of inflation and added fan and player amenities, Dean said. They includes an under-seat cooling system and a split lower bowl to bring the crowd closer to action.
He said it was possible costs would rise more based on factors such as interest rates.
“But we're also going to do our best to create a great ballpark and manage the costs the best we can,” Dean said.
Hill said the A's are “committed to the premier world-class stadium that is outlined in the law. They know that is what Las Vegas needs.”
Nevada and Clark County are providing $380 million in public funds for a 30,000-seat domed stadium estimated to have a 33,000 capacity. Public financing doesn’t begin until the A’s have spent at least $100 million, and Dean said the organization already has invested $40 million.
Dean also said club owner John Fisher increased the previous pledge of his family’s money to $1.1 billion. Dean said U.S. Bank and Goldman Sachs will offer a $300 million loan. Fisher still hopes to attract investors in Las Vegas and elsewhere who would purchase equity in the team, according to Dean.
“Any overages are the responsibility of the A's,” Hill said during the board meeting. “This may not be the last time the costs rise.”
Hill also said he had full confidence the Fisher had finances to meet obligations. The board also approved that the A's have the ability to pay for their share of the ballpark's construction.
Four letters were included in documents to the Stadium Authority board meeting to show that the financing is in place even if Fisher doesn’t attract investors. They include:
— A loan commitment from both banks.
— Statements Fisher and his family have the ability to meet their financial pledge.
— A U.S. Bank review of the owner’s finances that backs up Fisher assertion he has money in place. Steve Vogel, who oversees the bank's sports investments, told the board based an analysis of Fisher's brokerage statements, filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and other documents that Fisher has “assets more than sufficient to fund the equity portion” of the stadium's construction.
— Commitments to Athletics StadCo LLC, an entity created to handle the private capital investment.
The A’s will play at least the next three seasons at a minor league ballpark in West Sacramento, California. They recently played their last of 57 seasons in Oakland, California.
The LVSA decision came hours after news broke that the A's had reached an agreement to sign free-agent pitcher Luis Severino to a $67 million, three-year contract, the richest deal in club history.
The A's would add another professional team to a Las Vegas market that also includes the NFL's Raiders, NHL's Golden Knights and WNBA's Aces. The Golden Knights and Aces have combined to win three championships in recent seasons.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
FILE - John Fisher, owner of the Oakland Athletics baseball team, announces that his team will leave Oakland after this season and play temporarily at a minor league park, during a news conference in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)
FILE - The Oakland Athletics and their design teams released renderings Tuesday, March 5, 2024 of the club's planned $1.5 billion stadium in Las Vegas that show five overlapping layers with a similar look to the famous Sydney Opera House. (Negativ via AP, File)
FILE - The Oakland Athletics and their design teams released renderings Tuesday, March 5, 2024 of the club's planned $1.5 billion stadium in Las Vegas that show five overlapping layers with a similar look to the famous Sydney Opera House. (Negativ via AP, File)
