Sri Lanka presidential hopeful vows probe into Easter blasts
Posted October 20, 2019 2:33 am.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — A former Sri Lankan defence chief who is a front-runner in next month’s presidential election says he’ll order a fresh probe into the Easter Sunday blasts that killed 263 people by appointing a presidential commission if he wins.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa told an election rally Sunday that the commission would be set up on a request made by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, a top leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Ranjith has previously called for an independent and transparent commission to investigate the attack blamed on Islamic extremists.
Rajapaksa, a powerful defence officialin the government of his brother, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is a favourite to win the Nov. 16 election, in which national security has become the focal point.
The Associated Press
