Australian newspaper ‘Brisbane Times’ reported that apart from threatening incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa's bid for an unprecedented third term, Common Candidate Maithripala Sirisena is also promising to cancel James Packer's plans to build a $400 million casino resort in Sri Lanka if he wins.

With both international and local hotel projects going live in the island under the present government, James Packer a renowned Australian investor/businessman has planned to build a massive Casino complex adjacent to D R Wijeywardena road Colombo 3.

The Australian investor’s project came under severe criticism from both the opposition, Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and the Bikku community.

However, the Common Candidate’s election campaign which is titled ‘Maithri Paalanayak’, has pledged to rid of all ‘corruption’, and in the turn of events Packer’s casino complex has fallen under the category which will take a blow if Sirisena ascends to Presidency.

Meanwhile, international media has dubbed that the ‘Packer project has become a plump target for the opposition, with many among the country's majority Buddhist population believing the casino will become a magnet for prostitution and immoral social behaviour’.

The Australian newspaper has also said ‘the presidential race has become a close contest, with opinion polls suggesting the very real prospect of change.'