Sri Lanka's strongmen brothers seek comeback as presidential vote underway

Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, a a former defence secretary, is running as the candidate for the nationalist Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party. He has made national security his key campaign platform.

Sri Lanka’s 16 million voters will decide Saturday whether to return to power a family of strongmen that took the nation toward a deep reliance on China or extend the rule of the current government that promises more freedom but failed to avert terror attacks that killed over 250 people in April.

Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, 70, whose brother Mahinda had close ties with Beijing during his 10-year rule, is running as the candidate for the nationalist Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party. The former defence secretary has made national security his key campaign platform, riding the tide of growing disillusionment among the