2015 Sri Lankan presidential election

Presidential elections were held in Sri Lanka on 8 January 2015, two years ahead of schedule. Incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa was the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance's candidate, seeking a third term in office. The United National Party (UNP)-led opposition coalition chose to field Maithripala Sirisena, the former Minister of Health in Rajapaksa's government and general secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) – the main constituent party of the UPFA – as its common candidate.

2015 Sri Lankan presidential election
8 January 2015 (2015-01-08)
Turnout81.52% (7.02pp)
 
Nominee Maithripala Sirisena Mahinda Rajapaksa
Party NDF SLFP
Alliance — UPFA
Popular vote 6,217,162 5,768,090
Percentage 51.28% 47.58%
Results by polling division
President before election

Mahinda Rajapaksa
SLFP

 Elected President

Maithripala Sirisena
NDF

Sirisena was declared the winner, receiving 51.28% of all votes cast compared to Rajapaksa's 47.58%. The result was generally seen as a major upset; when Rajapaksa called the election in November 2014 he had looked certain to win. On 11 January 2015, the new government announced a special investigation into allegations of an attempted coup by Rajapaksa.

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