The results of Sri Lanka's presidential election of 17November 2005, as officially announced on the following day, indicated thatMahinda Rajapakse, the Prime Minister, had edged out his rival RanilWickremesinghe, the leader of the parliamentary Opposition, by a margin of lessthan two percentage points, having secured a bare 0.29 per cent above themandatory 50 per cent of the total of valid votes required for a contestant tobe declared the president.