Govt to investigate defeated leader's 'coup' attempt

Sri Lanka's new government will investigate an attempt by Mahinda Rajapaksa to stage a "coup" to stay in power after it became clear he had lost last week's presidential election, a spokesman said on Sunday.

"People think it was a peaceful transition. It was anything but," spokesman Mangala Samaraweera told reporters. "The first thing the new Cabinet will investigate is the coup and conspiracy by president Rajapaksa.

"He stepped down only when the army chief and the police inspector general refused to go along with him."