Sirisena sworn in as Sri Lanka president

2015-01-10 27

Sri Lanka has a new president.

Maithripala Sirisena was sworn into office this Friday after winning 51.3% of the vote.

Long-time leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, who had been in office since 2005, conceded defeat and said he looked forward to a peaceful transition.

Elections in the country have been marked by charges of corruption and growing authoritarianism.
Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford reports from Colombo.

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