A spokesman for the new Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has said that the former leader Mahinda Rajapaksa tried to deploy the army shortly after he conceded defeat on 47.6 percent of the vote.
The spokesman said that the army chief was under pressure to deploy military after Rajapaksa lost elections, reported the Malay Mail.
However, the military has not yet commented on the issue.
The Sri Lankan army has not had a direct military role in the country except for a coup in 1962 that failed to oust the government.
The spokesman has not mentioned whether the outgoing president tried to contact the army chief himself or the approach was made by his younger brother, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.