Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa Friday congratulated opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena on his victory in the presidential election, an official said.
Sirisena, a former government minister, deserted the president and changed sides to become the opposition's candidate in November, Dailymirror.lk reported.
He has vowed to root out corruption and bring constitutional reforms to weaken the president's power, the report added.
Earlier, President Mahinda Rajapaksa left his official residence Temple Trees after meeting Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and the cabinet and assuring a smooth transfer of power.
