Former Sri Lankan president confident of polls victory

Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa expressed confidence on Sunday that he will be able to win the upcoming parliamentary elections and be appointed as the country's next prime minister.

Rajapaksa was contesting the elections under the opposition United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and was seeking majority seats in the parliament to defeat the current government.

He said the ruling United National Party (UNP) was still talking of forming a coalition government after the Aug. 17 elections, which demonstrated that they did not have the confidence of securing majority seats on their own.

Speaking to reporters at a media briefing with other UPFA members, Rajapaksa denied allegations that he had given the Tamil Tiger rebels money in order to win the 2005 presidential election.

In 2005, the Tamil Tigers had prevented the people from taking part in the vote, which allowed Rajapaksa to win with the support of the Sinhala votes in the south.

Rajapaksa said if he had given money to the rebels he would not have taken much efforts to try to defeat them.

Under Rajapaksa's government, the Tamil Tigers were defeated and all the areas which were under rebel control were freed.

The former president said if Tamil Tiger leader Vellupillai Prabakaran was alive he would ask him whether the story that he gave the Tigers money was really true.

"Prabakaran had said this story. I would like to ask him if it is true. But he is not alive today," Rajapaksa said. Endi