Sri Lankan ruling party cracks, Rajapaksa to face health minister in presidential race

Sri Lanka's health minister quit President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government Friday to challenge him in the upcoming elections in the most serious setback for the leader's quest for a third term.

The defection of Maithripala Sirisena, who is also No. 2 in the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party, poses the biggest threat to Rajapaksa since he came to power nine years go. He is still popular after leading a military campaign to end a 25-year civil war against Tamil Tiger rebels, but the erosion of support from within his own party is unprecedented.

Sirisena left the government with three other ministers and a lawmaker, saying Friday he has been chosen as the combined opposition's presidential candidate.

Rajapaksa on Thursday announced he's seeking a third term, two years before his second term ends.  No date for the polls has been set yet but they're likely in the first week of January.

Sirisena's announcement is the culmination of a long simmering discontent among party seniors over Rajapaksa's family politics.

Speaking to reporters, Sirisena accused Rajapaksa's administration of concentrating all power in his family and taking the country toward authoritarianism.

Sirisena promised to abolish the country's powerful presidency within 100 days of coming to office and take the country back to a government headed by a prime minister that was prevalent before 1978.

"Corruption irregularities, malpractices injustices are rampant under this government. The rule of law has collapsed," he said.

The country's presidential system has been criticized of giving the holder too much power with too little accountability.

Rajapaksa promised twice to abolish the system but made use of an overwhelming support in Parliament four years ago to scrap a two-term limit for presidency and take over powers to appoint judges, police and election officials.

The others who quit the Cabinet were Fisheries Minister Rajitha Senaratne, Education Services Minister Duminda Dissanayake, Buddhist Affairs Deputy Minister  M.K.D.S. Gunawardena and lawmaker Rajiva Wijesinghe. Another lawmaker defected Thursday.

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