0 0 8 : ▁ 1 2 ▁MP s , ▁who ▁had ▁left ▁the ▁J VP ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁National ▁Fre edom ▁Front , ▁join ▁the ▁UP FA . ▁ ▁This ▁has ▁allowed ▁the ▁UP FA ▁form ▁a ▁stable ▁government ▁for ▁six ▁years . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁exp iration ▁of ▁the ▁second ▁term ▁of ▁President ▁K umar at unge , ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Mah inda ▁Raj ap ak se ▁defeated ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁National ▁Party ▁and ▁former ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Ran il ▁W ick rem asing he ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁President ial ▁election . ▁He ▁was ▁succeeded ▁as ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁by ▁Rat n asi ri ▁W ick re man ay ake . ▁Under ▁Raj ap ak se , ▁the ▁Sri ▁L ank an ▁military ▁defeated ▁the ▁milit ant ▁Liber ation ▁Tig ers ▁of ▁T amil ▁E el am ▁group ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁ending ▁the ▁ 3 0 ▁year ▁Sri ▁L ank an ▁Civil ▁War ▁and ▁significantly ▁increasing ▁Raj ap ak sa ' s ▁popular ity ▁in ▁the ▁country . ▁Raj ap ak sa ▁rode ▁this ▁wave ▁of ▁popular ity ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁President ial ▁election , ▁defe ating ▁opposition ▁candidate ▁Sar ath ▁Fon se ka ▁by ▁a ▁large ▁margin . ▁ ▁Details ▁With ▁the ▁term ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁Parliament ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁ 6 th ▁Parliament ) ▁scheduled ▁to ▁end ▁in ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 0