Longest-Ruling Sri Lankan Head Defeated

The longest-ruling leader of Sri Lanka has conceded defeat, to the shock of his country. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has left his official residence, according to his office, and conceded to former ally and health minister Maithripala Sirisena. In a tweet, Rajapaksa congratulated his opponent, writing, "Congratulations and warm felicitations to Mr. Maithripala Sirisena on his election as President of Sri Lanka #PresidentMukherjee." Critics predicted just a few weeks ago that Rajapaksa would cruise to a third consecutive term. However, Sirisena, who defected from the ruling party a few weeks ago, gathered mass support among lawmakers who resented Rajapaksa’s increasingly authoritarian rule.