Gotabaya Rajapaksa favourite in Sri Lanka Presidential race

In Sri Lanka, voters will elect a new President this weekend and they look likely to bring back a familiar face. Gotabaya Rajapaksa was the defence secretary who oversaw the end of a decades-long civil war.

The UN says at least 40,000 Tamil civilians died during the war’s final months and Mr Rajapaksa stands accused of ordering war crimes. But after the easter bombings by Islamist terrorists, his strongman persona and family name has made him favourite to win power.