Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, addresses the 69th United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters in New York September 24, 2014. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lankan Health Minister Mithripala Sirisena resigned on Friday and said he would run as an opposition candidate against President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a snap election in January.
The challenge from within his own ranks will be a blow for Rajapaksa, who is seeking an unprecedented third term and remains popular leader despite foreign criticism over his sweeping powers and human rights record.
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