03-19-2004, 06:34 PM
Poll: Sri Lankan president leads in pre-poll survey
Associated Press, Fri March 19, 2004 11:15 EST . - - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) Sri Lanka - 's president leads her rival, the prime minister, in the run-up to April 2 parliamentary elections, according to a pre-poll survey released Friday. The prime minister, however, received wide support from Sri Lanka - 's minority population, getting more than 78 percent backing from Tamils and more than 50 percent from Muslims.
Nearly 40 percent of majority Sinhalese support the president, the poll said.
Kumaratunga ordered snap elections following a bitter power struggle with Wickremesinghe, whom she accused of bring too soft on the Tamil Tiger rebels. The two leaders were elected separately.
A cease-fire in February 2002 between Wickremesinghe's government and the Tigers halted two decades of fighting, which had killed nearly 65,000 people. But a split in rebel ranks has since raised the prospect of renewed violence.
Nearly 44 percent of the survey respondents backed Wickremesinghe's rebel truce, with only 4 percent thinking it should be revoked.
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam rebels want a separate state for the country's 3.2 million Tamils accusing Sinhalese of discrimination. Sinhalese make up 14 million of Sri Lanka - 's 18.6 million population while Muslims make up 1.3 million.
The CPA interviewed 1,800 people nationwide, excluding areas under rebel control. The survey had a three point margin of error.
Associated Press, Fri March 19, 2004 11:15 EST . - - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) Sri Lanka - 's president leads her rival, the prime minister, in the run-up to April 2 parliamentary elections, according to a pre-poll survey released Friday. The prime minister, however, received wide support from Sri Lanka - 's minority population, getting more than 78 percent backing from Tamils and more than 50 percent from Muslims.
Nearly 40 percent of majority Sinhalese support the president, the poll said.
Kumaratunga ordered snap elections following a bitter power struggle with Wickremesinghe, whom she accused of bring too soft on the Tamil Tiger rebels. The two leaders were elected separately.
A cease-fire in February 2002 between Wickremesinghe's government and the Tigers halted two decades of fighting, which had killed nearly 65,000 people. But a split in rebel ranks has since raised the prospect of renewed violence.
Nearly 44 percent of the survey respondents backed Wickremesinghe's rebel truce, with only 4 percent thinking it should be revoked.
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam rebels want a separate state for the country's 3.2 million Tamils accusing Sinhalese of discrimination. Sinhalese make up 14 million of Sri Lanka - 's 18.6 million population while Muslims make up 1.3 million.
The CPA interviewed 1,800 people nationwide, excluding areas under rebel control. The survey had a three point margin of error.
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