COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s jailed and defeated opposition presidential candidate today appealed to the country’s highest court to overturn the results of last month’s election, a

lawmaker said.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa secured a wide victory over his former army chief and main rival Sarath Fonseka in the January 26 election, according to official results. But the opposition claims the poll was marred by widespread fraud and has rejected the result.

Lawyers for Fonseka - who was arrested last week after the government said he was planning a coup - have asked the Supreme Court to annul the results of the vote, said Tissa Attanayake, an opposition lawmaker. The appeal cites alleged government involvement in vote-rigging, use of state resources on behalf of Rajapaksa and other violations.

It was not clear when the court would

consider the case.

The campaign between Rajapaksa and Fonseka was a bitter one. The two were

allies when they worked together to

defeat the Tamil Tiger rebels last year, but fell out after the war.

Fonseka denies plotting to stage a coup, and the opposition says he was arrested because he dared to challenge Rajapaksa.

The country’s top Buddhist monks have urged Rajapaksa to release Fonseka immediately. Today, thousands of opposition supporters paraded in Colombo demanding Fonseka’s freedom and accusing the government of undermining democracy.

Today’s move by Fonseka’s lawyers

comes as the country gears up for

general elections scheduled for April 8 in which the ruling coalition hopes to further strengthen its grip on power.