>> a new era for sri lankan politics. it's the end of the road for marhinda radupatsa whose family has run the country for ten years. hello and welcome to al jazeera we're live from de la. i'm martine dennis. also to come in the program. the man hunt continues north of paris. the two men who are accused of the attack on the satirical

magazine. yin luck chintowat. will be officially sworn into offices on friday. he southwest to power following the surprise concession of his main rival and former boss. bringing back a pairltary a parliamentary system. unexpected political fall for a leader who drove high economic growth but failure to bring about reconciliation.

mahinda rajapaksa also changed the constitution in 2010 to allow him to run for an unprecedented third term. rajapaksa has been accused of, speaker of plairmtd and a son parliament and a son is an mp. let's talk to manel how big a victory are we talking about? >> martine, in terms of the figures, the new president of sri lanka is polling over 51% but in terms ever sri lanka a

huge shifting of power between the former and the new president president.essentially we are seeing a huge victory when a large number of voters turned up yesterday to cast their ballot and indeed seen as a major source of victory in this country, martine. >> when the new man gets into position and says he's going to abolish the parliament, what does that exactly mean? >> the coalition that he brought together, the sort of rainbow opposition coalition was fought on this footing that the country was going you know in the wrongdoer direction with the executive presidency. the executive presidency in this

country concentrating a phenomenal amount of power. the commander in chief of the armed forces, constitutional power to be held within that single individual. and the opposition for a long time has been campaigning on the fact that this is not good, that indeed one of his key election sort of platforms was the abolishment of the executive presidency. his campaign was 100 days if he wins and takes power that within the 100 days he would see the abolishment of the executive presidency. this would involve a constitutional change put that is the key aim of the new president. teen. >> martine. >> evidently that has been a

rajapaksa dynasty hasn't it? >> definitely building up to be one. he was into his second term. he did call elections two years ahead of schedule, he did have another two years but it took a gamble. he did have to consolidate power, during this period of last particularly his second term he's seen himself consolidating power that a number of the rajapaksa family essentially headed the defense machinery but in addition to all of that there was also a number of different layers and rungs of the family in other cases case of state institutions which they defended as happening in other

parts of the world but this very much an end of an era. martine. >> thank you. several books on southeastern politics joins us now from melbourne, australia. thank you very much indeed for talking to us at al jazeera. ending what was called a dynasty in sri lanka the sri sri lankans have voted against a cronyism form of government. >> a return to the consolidation of reconciliation with the tamal minority which really has not occurred since the end of

the civil war and that is a major issue which will now face the incoming government. >> so what sort of utterance he has been made regard to the reconciliation with the huge tamal minority qumght? rajapaksa was credited with win it is war but he didn't win the peace is he? >> that's right. the difficulty of mr. sirasena, he was from the mold of the old government and hasn't made any promises of how he will secure the reconciliation with the tamal minority. constitute a significant minority that there will be a move towards reconciliation, that there will be a move

towards the demilitarization of the country but at this stage we haven't had any firm promises, it is more a hope on the part of the tamal people. >> and when about the international oarnlings if you orientation if you like of the sri lankan people, finger-wagging from his former european allies, and there was always othreat of war a threat of prosecutions, have these gone away, the atrocities that were allegedly committed towards the end of the civil war? >> the investigations, the international investigations into war crimes which center on the rajapaksa regime will continue.

mr. sarasina says he will not pursue them, i think realistically, we see this in other conflict or post-conflict environments, that chasing after people holding people accountable often maintains problems of distance or of a sense of the conflict continuing. so he and his family have his hands in the machinery of state and i think the incoming government is going to have to tread very carefully not to upset that. having said that, they do still have a task ahead of themselves, rebuilding continuity within

have isrilanka. >> thank you very much. pair is expected ever killing 12 people, the hunt moved to the picardy region. tim friend reports. >> before dawn the search goes on of the men suspected of of carrying on wednesday's deadly attack. close to where the brothers, cherif and said kouachi reportedly robbed a petrol station. >> each entry into the village have been blocked even tiny foot paths. but the fear is the brothers have once again eluded the

police. >> the village was sealed off during house to house searches for brothers. french police say they're armed and dangerous. they were born and raised in france to al year algerian immigrants. u.s. officials say said trained in al qaeda camps in yemen. french police say said's i.d. card was found at the scene. >> we found an identity card with the name said kouachi born in paris living in the 19th arrondisement. >> does this picture that emerged on thur and shows thursday

and shows the aftermath of the scene at "charlie hebdo," in which 12 people were killed. doesn't believe was behind the attack. >> i have one piece of advice to give to mr. kouachi. to turn himself over. if it turns out that he did not commit the acts he was accused of then he could exonerate himself. >> the french are also in grief because they know the country will struggle to recover from these wounds and they fear what will come next. president francois hollande says this is a time for national unity. >> translator: france has been struck directly in its heart

liberty and resistance breathes freely. spontaneous gathering within france shows once again against those who think they can attack it by killing journalists and police. >> as a mark of respect france's most iconic structure the eiffel tower was plunged deeply into darkness. tim friend, al jazeera picardy. >> launched by the military appointed parliament, accused of corruption in connection with a croafl ricecontroversial rice subsidy program. driving protest for the antigovernment protests. scierld hasscott heidler has the latest.

>> first we layered representation from the anticrimtion commission. anticorruption commission, he painted a picture of a vast corruption of this program prime minister was responsible for this corruption. then took the podium and she said that this program was always about helping the rural farmer the rural rice farmer in improving their livelihood. >> translator: i was impeached three times second was by verdict of the constitutional tribune, ought of the impeachment actions have been done, i don't have any reason to

be impeached anymore. >> reporter: the national assembly has the opportunity to present more questions to yin luckluck hint shint shinntuwat, she will not be able to enter politics for next five years. >> upcoming. pk becomes bollywood's biggest hit. why this is becoming such a ruckus in india.

>> let's have a look at the top stories at al jazeera. the former health minister has now won the country's top position. rajapaksa has been credited with halting a long civil war. hunt focused on longpa, a

village to the north of france. the former thai prime minister yingluck shinawatra is accused of corruption of a rice program costing billions of dollars. the european union is seeking a explanation from turkey thousands have people have had to be rescued from drifting vessels that have been left stranded in the mediterranean sea. live in the mort city port city where the migrants start their perilous

journey. >> good morning. more than 100,000 migrants arrived on italy's shores, but now coping with endless demand smugglers begin using cargo vessels. their journey begin in mersin. a minor interruption to what is now the year round multimillion dollar people smuggle business. anchored somewhere out there in international waters, migrants are promised there's a 100 meter long ship waiting to take them to a new life in europe. >> translator: i decided to go to europe because there is no chance of living a dignified life in other countries. arab countries have all closed their doors in our faces. i tried to go to algeria lebanon, the gulf countries but i couldn't get a vee is a to any of them.

europe welcomes us. >> but the trip costs money. migrants must pay a $5,000 cash fee per passenger. the waiting room is full of willing though realistic customers. >> the fee includes accommodation. the migrants are promised weekly sailings. there are at least 500 people in this hotel we're told, and it's not the only place. families come and go, people wait. bad weather is delaying this week's sailing. everyone is eager to get moving. the smugglers are very open about their operation. there's even a facebook page

called "europe travels," it's got a picture of a big container-type vessel on it, an 82-meter vessel, this one says there's a sailing on thursday, the weather seems fine and all the passengers on board will be supplied with food water and sleeping mattresses and there's a phone number to call for inquiries. >> 45 minutes on the big ship you will head directly to italy. the journey is easy. it takes about five days to get to italy because it sails slowly. >> the smugglers use different harbors to try and stay one step lady of the turkish police. when their passengers finally begin their perilous trip to europe the smugglers promise once in italy the migrants can

go to any country they want. smugglers on the two vessels that ended up near italy last week cleared about $3 million in profits. so you can see when there's so much money to be made why smuggling is becoming so much of a big business. there is challenges, my colleague mohammad adow,. >> these are some of iraq's internally displaced people displaced from their homes when the islamic state of iraq and the levant took over their town last year, semi autonomous kurdish region, tents are all they have to shelter against the freezing weather. rena and her four children are from mosul iraq's second

biggest city. >> i didn't sleep much last night. i was afraid a storm would come and sweep us away. my husband is also unwell, we were really suffering here. >> the rain comes all day. at night the temperature drops to below zero degrees celsius. >> we are given bedding heaters and fuel. most of them came here with nothing. we cannot satisfy all their needs here. >> reporter: it's a situation that's bound to get worse. these people have little protection from the snow and flooding forecast for this weekend. the lives of thousands of displaced are at risk, warning that their capacity to help is hindered by a shortfall in funding. the u.n. fund asked for $440

million to help displaceed people. it received only halved of that. >> we have crises all over the world, we have syria we have the central african republic, we have trouble in yemen we have trouble in mali, all of these countries require resources to help people. >> reporter: at the mercy of the elements iraq's displaced people share the little they have. it looks like it's going to be a long winter. mohammad adow, al jazeera erbil in northern iraq. more than 100 people have been killed and dozens of homes seized by boarm. boko haram. hundreds of people are fleeing the area to get away from the

violence. boko haram controls large parts of northeastern nigeria. al jazeera has learned the international criminal court may be close to opening an inquiry into last year's incidents in gaza. >> very little option but now to launch a preliminary examination into the events of last summer's gaza war. you remember on the last day of last year, president mahmoud abbas signed the rome statute the statute that governs the international criminal court but also this declaration palestine asking for the court to be retroactive going back to june the 14th, 2014, that means it would cover the whole period of the gaza war.

if you look at the guidelines, this is the policy paper of the chief prosecutor. it says she is obliged to launch initial examination if she gets such a declaration. that is not a formal war crimes investigation, she needs to ask certain questions whether she believes certain war crimes have been committed whether this is serious enough for the international criminal court to get involved or whether national courts are already investigating those crimes. legal experts we've spoken to believe the chief prosecutor will have to start some sort of investigation like that in the coming days unless she changes her own policy. >> mexican families are burying their dead after a heavy shootout in the southern city of apaxingan. after being caught between military forces and a self defense group. the group says they were fired on from the rooftops of

businesses and houses. they have confiscated stolen weapons from the local group. hindu right wing protesters have accused a film of insulting their religion. that doesn't stop pk from becoming the highest grossing film in history. >> the film is like an alien on earth unable to return home. there is comedy and musical numbers. it's grossed $100 billion worldwide, a bollywood record. >> as a critic i find the film a little simplistic. that being said, it raises questions as to what things are

right now in india. >> pokes fun and liquor 80 clergy and spiritual leaders. the film has already broken all box office records and setting new ones every day. but along with fans there are also protesters who say the movie is making money at the risk of their film. >> such films should be banned. >> but others say the film critiquescritiques the system. >> because the bjp is in power their time has come to assert themselves. so it's not that they haven't protested against such films but

their protests are much more vociferous. >> the producers have put their faith in their film. fez georgia jamil. al jazeera. >> don't forget, you can keep up to date on the website. large numbers of muslims have dom live in western europe. france, germany, britain, netherlands - have they come to terms with rapid changes. have muslims come to terms with what it means to live in very different societies. it's "inside story". hello, i'm ray suarez.