India, Nov. 18 -- Sri Lanka's former defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has won a presidential election.
Official results showed Rajapaksa, 70, took 52.25% of the vote, while Sajith Premadasa got 41.99%. Rajapaksa will be sworn into office on Monday.
Rajapaksa rival Premadasa of the ruling United National Party, conceded defeat on Sunday, saying he will "honor the decision of the people."
Rajapaksa was the clear victor in Sinhalese majority areas while Premadasa scored better in the Tamil-dominated north.
"As we usher in a new journey for Sri Lanka, we must remember that all Sri Lankans are part of this journey, Let us rejoice peacefully, with dignity and discipline in the same manner in which we campaigned," Gotabaya Rajapaksa wrote ...