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		</div><p>Lanka’s former president says he has learned from his election defeat and has promised a new approach to relations between ethnic communities as he runs for prime minister in next month’s elections.</p>
<p>Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was defeated in January’s presidential poll, launched his political comeback campaign in the north-western city of Anuradhapura.</p>
<p>In a speech he denied allegations of corruption and misrule and said he was a victim of false propaganda.</p>
<p>Mr Rajapaksa was credited with defeating minority Tamil separatists in a civil war, but accused of inflaming divisions while sustaining his ethnic Sinhalese voting bloc. He was also accused of autocratic rule and nepotism.</p>
<p>“Just as in victory we have also learnt from defeat,” he told his supporters.</p>
<p>“I must tell you that we will come before you with fresh thinking, We will think anew on international relations, we will think of new ways to build relationships between communities.”</p>
<p>The Rajapaksa administration had strained relations with the United States, India and the Europe because of his heavy pro-China policy and failure to heed requests to investigate allegations of war crimes in the final stages of the civil war in 2009.</p>
<p>Mr Rajapaksa’s successor, President Maithripala Sirisena, has changed the heavy China leaning.</p>
<p>According to a United Nations report, some 40,000 ethnic Tamil civilians were killed in the final months of the fighting. The UN’s human rights body will release a report on the allegations in September.</p>
<p>If Mr Rajapaksa’s party secures a majority in parliament, he can become prime minister – a step away from president.</p>
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