President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has congratulated Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the president-elect of Sri Lanka.

The former defence chief won the presidential election held on Saturday, and official results show that he took a 52.25% victory.

President Solih, via Twitter, congratulated the president-elect “for a resounding victory” in the election, adding that he looks forward to working with Rajapaksa’s administration “to further the already close and fraternal ties between Maldives and Sri Lanka.”

Gotabaya Rajapaksa is the younger brother of former president, Mahinda Rajapaksa.

His rival, Sajith Premadasa, conceded when partial results showed Rajapaksa was certain to emerge the winner. A total of 35 candidates competed in the presidential election, the third since the end of the country's decades-long civil war in 2009 and the first since April’s terror attack.

In a statement issued via Twitter following his win, the newly elected president called for national unity noting that “all Sri Lankans are part of this journey.”

According to Lanka’s elections commission, there was an 83.7% voter turnout on Saturday.

Rajapaksa is to be sworn in on Monday.