Rajapaksa spokesman claims victory in Sri Lanka election

Sri Lanka's former wartime defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has won the presidency with a clear majority, his spokesman told AFP on Sunday, a day after the polls.

"We got between 53 to 54 percent (of the vote)," Keheliya Rambukwella said as official results showed the 70-year-old heading to victory in Saturday's fiercely contested election, reports AFP.