Sri Lankan Supreme Court has opened a hearing on election fraud allegations against President Mahinda Rajapaksa by failed opposition candidate General Sarath Fonseka.
The former army commander, who failed miserably in his challenge to prevent Rajapaksa from retaining power in the presidential elections held in January this year, alleged that the incumbent rigged the poll.
Monday, the five-member judicial bench headed by Chief Justice Ashoka de Silva scheduled the next hearings in the case for September 13-15.
Elected in 2005, Rajapaksa's six-year presidential term was due to end in November 2011. But he called the snap polls two years early to take advantage of the popular support created by crushing a bloody insurgent fight by the Tamil rebels in May last year.
Rajapaksa was re-elected with a clear majority over his former army chief, who was arrested two weeks later.
Fonseka is facing a court martial on a number of charges, including conspiracy against the government. The Democratic National Alliance under the leadership of Fonseka fought the parliamentary elections in April, but fared badly, winning just seven seats.
He was elected from behind the bars but not allowed to attend parliamentary sessions pending his court martial.
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